Page 3 – Personal Growth Cafe

You may have been advised to spend more time in the “present moment,” but what does this really mean?

Present moment thinking has been the concentration of eastern religions for thousands of years.

Religion And Philosophy

Some people are tempted to turn away immediately when Eastern philosophy is brought up just because they think it might threaten their core religious beliefs.

There are no religious impositions though; the present moment is available to everyone in every moment no matter who you are.

In fact, most religions, in one way or another, agree with the belief of living in the moment, not in the past or future.

Eastern Religions And The Present Moment

There are many different divisions of religion in the East, just like the West.

Many of them differ with certain beliefs and philosophies, but many agree on the importance of the present moment.

In recent decades, the West has been picking up on these ancient philosophies and many people use these lessons to help cope with modern problems.

It works and it proves that the human condition has always been the same.

The Present Moment Defined

The present moment can be defined as your attention being solely on what you’re doing right now.

It’s when you’re not thinking of “other things.”

If you’re washing the dishes, your mind is fully aware when you start the faucet, grip the sponge, and wipe the plates clean.

There are no other thoughts in your mind other than what it is you’re doing in the moment.

While staying in the present moment may seem boring at times, you’ve probably already felt its true power without really knowing it.

Have you ever been outside enjoying nature and a feeling of peace flooded over you?

Have you ever stared up at the sky and stars and contemplated the meaning behind them?

The past and future wash away, and the only thing that’s important in that moment is the “now.”

Staying in the Present Moment

The process of staying in the present moment may take some practice.

If you try for any length of time to stay fully present, your mind will likely try to bring you out of it.

This is because thoughts about the past and future are constantly creeping up.

This can be a source of frustration, but you must fight the urge to judge yourself since that negative emotion would defeat the purpose.

Be aware that your mind will reach for the past and future; yet be ready to let go of those thoughts when they come up.

The more you practice remaining present, the easier it’ll become.

Practicing Meditation

Meditation is an art that’s not only reserved for Eastern religions.

It’s a method of bringing yourself into the present that’s available to you at all times.

Here are some tips to follow when beginning meditation:

Choose a time of day when you can relax and be alone.
Sit in a position that gives you good posture.
Concentrate on your breathing.
Take deep breaths in and out and focus only on your breath.
Try to meditate for at least 30 minutes each day.
Fight the urge to fall asleep.

You’ll find that you get better at meditation with practice.

Don’t give up on yourself! Every session may not feel as good as the last, but it’s important to stick with it.

Meditation will enable you to get to know your mind and body better.

You’ll maintain awareness for when your mind is in an agitated state, and you’ll be able to place better focus on fixing your problems and moving toward your goals.

All in all, developing a present moment mindset can bring you more peace and fulfillment in your life. Isn’t that worth a little practice?

Which of your current qualities are the result of a lesson learned from a mistake?

How often do you take time to reflect on the results of your mistakes?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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March 13, 2018January 7, 2018

A joy shared is a joy doubled. A sorrow shared is a sorrow halved. – Author Unknown

March 13, 2018January 7, 2018

Simple Gestures to Show Appreciation

You’ve heard the expression that a little can go a long way, and there’s no exception when it comes to showing your appreciation.

Learning how to express your gratitude will enable you to enjoy improved communication and more fulfilling relationships.

While a grand gesture is always nice and has a time and place, simple gestures are habits that you can add to your everyday routine.

It’s important not to keep all of your love and appreciation stuck inside your head.

Instead, let it out and you’ll give meaning, purpose, and joy to everyone around you!

Try the following simple gestures to express your gratitude:

1. Talk more. Make your thoughts known.

Your simple gestures of appreciation can be at the office, at home, with your kids, with your partner, and more.

When you verbalize how you feel in a positive manner, it can make all the difference in a person’s day.

If you think of a compliment, give the compliment. It’s simple and it works.

2. Give a card out of the blue. Give friends, family, colleagues, or your partner a sincere card or note.

There’s something extra special about getting a message when you aren’t expecting one. Plus they make nice keepsakes.

3. Go out of your way. Take a moment to think of something you can do each day or every once in awhile that’s above and beyond.

Taking even a small burden off your loved one’s shoulders shows that you care.

For example, if your spouse is usually the one who handles the laundry, surprise them and take care of it.

4. Develop your listening skills. Practice being truly aware of what you’re told when people are speaking to you.

You’ll likely commit certain bits of information to long-term memory.

You’ll be surprised at how happy you can make someone simply because you remembered something they told you.

5. Show affection. When it comes to affection for your loved ones, some simple affection can go a long way.

Bring more hugs and kisses into the relationship. Chances are everyone could use more “I love you’s” in their lives.

6. Consider a handmade gift. When it comes time for gift giving, consider a handmade gift.

It doesn’t have to be something expensive or complex as long as it’s coming from the heart.

These gifts are often the most cherished of all.

7. Cook something. If you’re showing appreciation to your family, plan a special meal one day.

Maybe try something you haven’t tried before, or go for an old family favorite.

If you’re showing appreciation for another group of people, consider bringing them some baked goods.

A cupcake or a brownie just might brighten someone’s day!

8. Always say “Thank You.” You’ve learned to say please and thank you to strangers and the people in your life shouldn’t be an exception.

It’s easy to fall into a pattern where we take others for granted.

Make it a habit to always thank people for anything they’ve done for you, even for simple things like holding the door.

Live a Life of Gratitude

If you continue to live your life in the presence of gratitude, it won’t be difficult to maintain simple gestures of appreciation.

When you concentrate on the needs of the people you love and fight the urge to fall into predictable patterns, you’ll set yourself up for a happy life.

Those around you will always remember your positive gestures!

How do you feel when someone shows they appreciate you?

How can you make someone smile today?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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March 12, 2018January 7, 2018

Do not hire a man who does your work for money, but him who does it for love of it. – Henry David Thoreau

March 12, 2018January 7, 2018

Simple Strategies to Attract Your Dream Job

If you don’t already have your dream job, what’s holding you back from the job you deserve?

You’ll soon discover that you can no longer make excuses because the time to attract your dream job is now!

It doesn’t really matter what your end goal is, there are always ways to get there.

The only real decision you need to make is what you want to go after.

After that, it’s all planning and implementing!

Use these simple strategies for attracting your dream job:

1. Learn by example.

Do you know of someone who is doing what you dream of?

Are there any role models, mentors, or coaches you can learn from?

Study what others have done and ask them questions if you have the opportunity.

Now that you already know what you want, you just need to figure out exactly how to get it!

2. Break it down.

While you’re keeping your eye on the prize, you might be taking too much in at once.

You also may be trying to accomplish too much too fast.

Break down your dream goal into smaller mini-goals.

Once you have a simplified plan in place, attack each mini-goal with your full attention and you’ll be chipping away slowly, but surely at your dream goal!

3. Get your foot in the door.

In the long run, it’s better for you to take the first step toward your dream job, rather than working a dead end job, even if the dead end job is paying you more.

If you can bear working for less money for a while, the long-term benefits will be worth it.

4. Work on communication.

If you work on your communication and people skills, you can work toward nearly any job that you want.

This is because you’ll get your points across clearly and become well respected.

5. Make yourself stand out.

It always helps if you’re seen as the type of person that will go the extra mile.

If there’s a specific job that you’re interviewing for, study the objectives and duties of the job carefully.

Make sure you have the qualities and skill set they’re looking for, and if you don’t, show that you’re willing to take the initiative to acquire them.

6. Take action.

There may be a number of things that are holding you back from truly going for your dream job.

Identify these causes and eliminate them.

What are you afraid of?

What is in the way of you and your dreams?

Your Dreams Take Time

It may take time for you to attract your dream job.

Chances are your dream job isn’t an entry-level position at your local McDonald’s, but perhaps you’ll want to own a restaurant someday.

In order to make this goal a reality, realize that your dreams take time, research, guidance, money, and a whole lot of effort.

After all, no restaurant opened overnight!

So what can you do today to get started on your goal?

Perhaps you can begin your research, locate a mentor, start a savings account, or do any number of other simple tasks that will help you build momentum.

Use these strategies whenever possible to help you attract your dream job. With consistent action and effort, the only way to go is up!

What is your dream job?

What are you doing to get closer to reaching that goal?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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March 11, 2018January 7, 2018

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. – Eleanor Roosevelt

March 11, 2018January 7, 2018

What Is The Meaning of Life? A Guide to Discovering Your Purpose

The meaning of life is one of those sought after quests that can never truly be answered.

There are just too many opinions and personal definitions for any one meaning to be true for everyone.

Also, there are certain topics in life that can simply never be fully described with mere words, such as true love and true self.

Some will say that discovering the meaning behind true love and your true self is the meaning of life.

What do you think?

Discovering Your Purpose

While you might feel a bit confused, you can start to find meaning in your life by discovering your true purpose.

For some, this comes easily but for others it may take some deep soul searching.

Your true purpose is not necessarily a job or something concrete, although it could be.

There are no rules to follow, just the rules set out by your heart.

Try some of the following activities when searching for your true purpose:

Find a time and place where you can have some quiet self-reflection.

Just start writing down ideas on what you think your true purpose might be.

You may not arrive at it at first, but you’ll eventually come across something that hits the nail on the head.

Activities and hobbies. Reflect on your favorite activities and hobbies.

Can you turn any of them into a life’s purpose?

Some people feel that if they take their hobbies further it’ll start to feel like any old job.

This won’t be the case if you’ve truly found your purpose.

Skills and intelligence. If there are certain skills and abilities that you’re good at, perhaps you should try pursuing those, even if you didn’t think you wanted to before.

Also, you might want to look into a theory called Multiple Intelligences by Howard Gardner.

Gardner describes how everyone has a type of intelligence and it might not always be what is typically accepted as intelligence, such as a high IQ.

Ask yourself whether or not you’re happy in your current life situation.

If you are, perhaps you’ve already found your life’s purpose or you’re on the correct path to it.

If you’re unhappy, see if you can isolate the reasons why.

Once you know why, you can take action to correct the imbalance.

Make an effort to let go of your regrets. These never serve a positive purpose in your life.

However, if you identify your regrets, perhaps you can use them to help you discover your purpose.

Perhaps there’s something you regret that you can correct.

Often times, it’s not too late to make a positive change!

For example, if you’re in your 50s and you always wanted to go to college, you shouldn’t let anything stand in the way between you and your dream.

If you’re a religious person, it’s likely that your religion discusses life and meaning.

Search through religious books or seek out a spiritual advisor to learn more about the meaning of life.

Follow Your Bliss

To put it quite simply, if you’re following your bliss, you’re on the road to discovering your true purpose.

You’ll also be discovering your personal definition for the meaning of life.

Remember, you’ll always have outside influences when it comes to finding life’s meaning, but following your heart is the only true answer.

What do you think is your purpose in life?

How can you make your life better every day?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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Archives

One of the secrets of life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks. – Jack Penn

Present Moment Mindset – Bringing Eastern Philosophy to the West

A joy shared is a joy doubled. A sorrow shared is a sorrow halved. – Author Unknown

Simple Gestures to Show Appreciation

Do not hire a man who does your work for money, but him who does it for love of it. – Henry David Thoreau

Simple Strategies to Attract Your Dream Job

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. – Eleanor Roosevelt

What Is The Meaning of Life? A Guide to Discovering Your Purpose