Personal Growth Cafe

January 24, 2018January 5, 2018

The Importance of Self-Respect

Why is self-respect so important?

When you have self-respect, you actually fully love yourself.

You love yourself for who you are on the inside and not just because of what you do, what you look like, or what you’re capable of.

When you have self-respect, you take pride in who you are and you know that you’re valuable.

On the flip side, without self-respect, it’s difficult to have honesty, confidence, and integrity.

Instead, a person without self-respect may feel the emotions of anger, guilt, blame, shame, or regret, and they sport secretive behavior because deep down they feel unworthy.

Beyond that, if you can’t respect yourself, how can you respect others and how can others respect you?

Putting Your Needs First

Too many people put the needs of others before their own.

Although this is admirable, in order to respect and serve others, you need to meet your own physical and emotional needs first.

Meeting your own needs first is an important part of respecting yourself.

Here’s a story of Joan, who realized too late the importance of respecting her own needs:

Joan had a friend that she did everything for.

She would always put the needs of her friend before her own.

Whenever her friend needed help with something, big or small, Joan would always be there even if she had to rearrange her own schedule.

It worked for a while, but then Joan began to feel that the constant help for her friend was becoming emotionally taxing.

It was almost as if Joan became a servant to her friend.

She wasn’t Joan; she was just her friend’s “friend.” Even her friend began to think of her that way.

Eventually Joan began to feel like her friend was taking advantage of her and these feelings escalated into resentment.

Joan started to make excuses to get out of helping her friend. Now they are no longer friends.

What happened?

Joan was trying to achieve self-respect and thought she could only gain self-respect by putting her friend’s needs before her own.

She was trying to prove she deserved respect instead of looking into herself and finding the great things about herself that already deserved respect.

Because she didn’t even respect herself, her friend didn’t respect her either.

If Joan respected herself and her own needs, she might have communicated her feelings to her friend and put her own schedule first sometimes.

Joan would’ve felt the confidence to do the things she needed to do for herself in addition to doing things for her friend.

Fundamentally, Joan’s self-respect would have allowed her friend to respect her also.

There’s a good chance that Joan and her friend would still be friends if she had only looked inside herself and realized that there was already a lot to respect.

There’s nothing wrong with stepping up for others, but you must have a solid sense of self-respect for yourself first.

Respecting the Mind, Body, and Spirit

Because you’re a unique human being with strengths and great qualities of your own, you need to respect your entire mind, body, and spirit.

Don’t look in a mirror and say, “I’m not attractive” or “I’m so stupid.” That’s not what matters.

Don’t you think your loved ones love you unconditionally?

Of course! They love you because of what’s inside of you.

They respect you for who you really are and you need to respect yourself too.

You need to respect yourself because you have an inner being that demands your patience, love and respect.

If you find yourself to be unattractive, unintelligent or uninspired, throw that mentality out the window!

Respect your body because it is the home of your mind and spirit, then harness that spirit and love it because it is who you are.

Loving your body, mind, and spirit is the key to gaining self-respect.

It is then that you can extend yourself out to meet the needs of others.

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!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

January 23, 2018January 5, 2018

Faith fuels my endeavors.

January 23, 2018January 5, 2018

The Power of Motivating Imagery

Do you suddenly feel a surge of energy when look at a picture of your children?

Do you ever see a picture and remember that that is why you are working so hard every day?

The power of motivating imagery is immense and can work for you in your everyday life, no matter what your struggles are.

The right image can help you get through almost anything.

Using Motivating Imagery Wherever You Go

Where do you turn when you’re at home and you need a bit of motivation?

You may have pictures of your family or perhaps pictures from a previous vacation.

You can look at those to remind yourself why you do what you do.

It usually isn’t difficult to find motivation when you’re at home because you’re in the midst of all that you’ve worked hard to accomplish.

But what happens when you’re at work and dreading every minute of it?

When you’re at work and your boss has just finished his annoying rant, or your co-worker just finished disturbing your peace, you need a quick source of motivation to keep pushing forward.

Where can you find that burst of energy when you’re in the middle of a busy workday?

You don’t have to look any further than your computer for all the motivating imagery you need.

Escape From Stress With Motivating Computer Wallpaper Backgrounds

You can download motivating wallpapers to your computer desktop so when you’re in the middle of those stressful moments, you have a source at your fingertips to inspire and motivate you.

These inspirational images can serve as a powerful reminder of why you work so hard.

If nothing else, you can lose yourself in the image for just a moment.

This can help ground you and let you see the world in a different light.

A moment of refreshment recharges you and gives you the power to attack your to-do lists in a positive and systematic way.

There are many types of inspirational wallpapers for you to choose from.

Many of them are simply an inspirational image, while others combine a quote or affirmation with a scenic picture.

These can be very powerful because they use images and words, the two things that the mind responds to the best.

When you’re having a hard time, you can look at the picture and escape from the whirlwind that surrounds you.

As you do this, you’ll begin to feel peace return to your life in the matter of a few seconds.

Motivating imagery can work wonders.

Whether you’re sitting in your office or away on business, you may just need something calming, familiar, and reassuring to bring back your motivation and inner peace.

The great thing about the wallpapers is that they don’t take up any space, they’re often free, and no one has to know they’re there.

You can use these images whenever you’re at your computer and need a helping hand.

This is a quick and easy tool that has the power to recharge your batteries during a tough day.

What do you contribute to the world?

How are you tuning in to the right voice?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

January 22, 2018January 5, 2018

You can determine how confident people are by listening to what they don’t say about themselves. – Brian G. Jett

January 22, 2018January 5, 2018

Tips for Making a Public Speech

If you find yourself in a position where you have to give a public presentation, you may be racked with nerves at the thought of standing in front of a group.

It’s normal to be scared.

After all, probably most people in your audience would be just as nervous in front of a crowd too!

Here are some public speaking tips for conquering your fear and being a successful speaker:

1. Practice makes perfect.

Make your speech in front of a mirror or a friend so you can accurately time your speech and get into a rhythm.

Practice speaking out loud, especially if there are hard to pronounce words or names.

2. You’re the expert, so speak with conviction.

Even if you don’t know everything about the topic, you should know enough about it to make it through your speech.

3. Project your voice.

Even though you’ll likely use a microphone, if you speak too softly your audience members in the back of the room might not hear you well.

Projecting your voice conveys confidence to your audience.

4. Maintain eye contact.

Periodically glance around the room and use the 3-second rule while looking directly into someone’s eyes.

Doing so will make your audience will feel more involved.

The 3-second rule means you take your eyes off your notes and look around the room.

Focus on a face for 3 seconds and then continue scanning the room.

5. Use humor in your speech.

Even if you’re speaking about a dry topic, draw something funny into your speech.

Not all of us are born comedians, so don’t go overboard on this if it isn’t natural.

6. Pause periodically.

This gives your audience time to reflect and think about what you have said.

This will also give you a breather so you can speak without feeling out of breath. It also paces what you say.

7. Use note cards.

Note cards will remind you of the important points you want to make in your speech.

Avoid writing out your entire speech and then reading it, however.

This shows that you haven’t really practiced what you’re going to say and it can affect your speech if you start to fumble around for your place.

Short note cards with an outline of your topic or short facts can be helpful in keeping you on topic.

8. Don’t worry if you make a mistake.

Everyone makes mistakes from time to time.

If this happens to you, just go on with what you were saying.

If you need to take a moment to re-align your thoughts, feel free to take it.

9. You’re in command of the stage when you’re the speaker.

Most audiences are quite forgiving, so just keep moving forward if you make a mistake.

10. Familiarize yourself with the audio-visual aids.

Much like your speech, make sure all the equipment is working and that you’re familiar with the room and equipment ahead of time.

11. Speak to your audience.

Be aware of your audience’s reactions to what you’re saying.

If what you’ve said is not being understood, find a way to restate it.

12. Handouts are a good aid.

You can do this one of two ways.

Hand them out at the beginning of your presentation or as a summary at the end.

13. Keep your speech within the time parameters.

Stop when your time is up.

When you practice ahead of time, you’ll get good at keeping within the time limits.

Every good speaker has had to learn how to give a good speech through trial and error, so the more speeches you give, the better you’ll become!

Many speakers say that stage fright never really stops, but being prepared can definitely decrease the level of fear.

Planning your speech ahead of time and talking about something you’re passionate about can be an amazing experience.

How do you feel about giving a speech in public?

How do you prepare yourself for the occasion?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

January 21, 2018January 5, 2018

I see the inspiration that surrounds me.

January 21, 2018January 5, 2018

Top 10 Powerful Words to Keep You Motivated

No matter where you are on your life journey, setbacks can cause disappointment and a loss of momentum.

Whether it’s a new career you’re working towards or an overall appreciation of life, every step towards fulfillment can seem financially, emotionally, or psychologically draining from time to time.

To boost your confidence, here’s a list of the top 10 power words and tips to keep you motivated and passionate, no matter what life throws your way:

1. Purpose.

Whenever you’re feeling discouraged or disappointed, always remember your original purpose.

Reminding yourself of the original reason for venturing down your path in the first place will help refresh your mind when things go awry.

2. Planning.

Though you may think that you’ve done enough planning towards the fulfillment of your goal, thinking it through again will help eliminate aspects of your plan of action that may be causing you setbacks.

Put all your thoughts down on paper, from the smallest details to the larger movements.

Being able to see the timeline of your mission will help you focus on taking one step at a time to reach your goals.

3. Acceptance.

Accepting that you’re a human being who’s bound to have ups and downs is absolutely crucial to your success.

Without this self-acceptance, you’ll be subject to a foggy mind that’s unable to think positively, clearly, and innovatively.

Acceptance of what hasn’t worked in the past helps you gain a better knowledge of what will work in the future.

4. Reward.

When your motivation starts to wean, it’s crucial to give yourself rewards along the way.

This is one of the best ways to stay motivated on your path to success.

By giving yourself a taste of what you’re working for – whether it’s financial freedom, career responsibility, or your dream lifestyle – you won’t feel like you’re working so hard for nothing.

This refreshes your mind and helps you work more productively.

5. Health.

You know what this entails: moderate exercise, a healthy diet, and 7-8 hours of sleep per night.

Feeling worn-down will make it almost impossible to pursue your goals and vision with the same clarity and vigor you had when you first set out.

Take care of your basic needs first, and you’ll be strong enough to pursue your dreams.

6. Motivation.

Research motivational books, CDs, and seminars.

Sometimes hearing motivational tips from a different perspective can greatly motivate you to act and succeed.

Find a source or two that touches you in some way and keep them close for those moments when you feel discouraged.

After all, we all get discouraged at one time or another.

7. Organization.

Ever feel depressed and worn out, and then you clean your surroundings and instantly feel more focused and motivated?

The same applies to your goal. Organize and clean house when it comes to the operation of your goal.

Organizing yourself gives you a fresh start and a feeling of clarity.

In doing so, you’ll be able to attack your short and long-term goals more vigorously and effectively.

8. Refresh.

Refresh your plan with something new. It could be a different tactic, setting, or career.

Whatever it is, break out of the pattern you’re in and try something new.

Even if this new tactic doesn’t yield positive results immediately, at the very least it will make you aware of the availability of your options.

9. Networking.

Reach out to people in your industry or those who share your life goal.

You can do this a number of ways: check out local clubs, find a plethora people online, or talk to existing contacts that may have already succeeded in your goal.

Having someone to voice your struggles, questions, and experience to will invigorate you to keep moving forward.

10. Action.

Taking action, despite doubts and setbacks, will further your progress.

By moving on, despite any pessimistic thoughts, you will motivate yourself by the sheer momentum of doing something proactive to change your circumstances.

Whenever you feel like your progress has stalled, or you simply want some quick inspiration, look to these 10 powerful words and strategies to spur you on.

You’re sure to find something to get you back on track toward success!

What can you do, today, to tie up the loose ends of your projects and accomplish your goals?

How can you nurture your spirit today?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

January 20, 2018January 5, 2018

I trust that there is a plan for my life, even if it has yet to be revealed to me.

January 20, 2018January 5, 2018

What is Self-Care and Why is it Important?

Defining self-care is easy because it’s the opposite of self-sabotage or self-control.

To successfully achieve self-care, you must have a self-care plan.

It’s through that structured plan that you’re going to be able to properly care for your very being.

Self-care isn’t just about brushing your teeth or combing your hair.

Self-care is for the needs within you.

Self-care is caring for your soul, your inner self, and your very being.

Building a Solid Self-Care Plan

A good self-care plan reminds you of what you want to accomplish.

After all, you have values, goals, and a purpose in your life.

This plan reminds you about what you need to do to take care of you.

Using a day planner or making notes to yourself can remind you of your goals and the things you need to do to take care of your body, mind, and soul.

Your self-care plan gives you a solid foundation for what you want to do and how you can accomplish it.

You should also provide yourself with inspirational quotes and affirmations.

This is the spiritual food that keeps you focused on your own personal well being.

Not only do you have the reminders of what to do, but you also have little pieces of inspiration around you to remind you of why you’re doing it!

In addition to inspirational quotes, you can hang motivating pictures throughout your home and office.

These pictures may be of exotic places you’d like to visit someday, or tranquil images of nature.

Your pictures may be something that you want to attract into your life or may remind you of a positive memory from your past.

You can also have a photo of your family to remind you of what’s important to you.

Your self-care plan should inspire you and remind you of why you want to take care of your body, mind, and spirit.

Another aspect of your self-care plan is tracking your progress.

Let’s say you have a hard time getting motivated to exercise.

By keeping a log of your exercise time, you can keep yourself focused on achieving a healthier you.

A food journal is also a good way to track your food choices so you can remind yourself that you need to eat nutritious foods.

In addition, you can use a journal to record your mental and emotional health.

Write down what’s going on inside of you so you can evaluate your feelings and proactively take care of your mental health.

Your self-care plan tracks your progress to help you stay on track toward your goals.

You can use these aspects of planning toward anything in your life so you have that solid foundation you need to take care of yourself.

Just make sure to take care of the inside as well as the outside.

Creating a Personalized Self-Care Plan

You may need to motivate yourself to initiate your self-care plan.

For some, beginning any new task may be daunting.

In addition, you’ll want to be sure you can find motivation along the way to help keep you on track.

Ask yourself about what has motivated you in the past.

Use this as your motivation toward the things you need to do to take care of yourself.

A good motivator to keep you on track is to have a family member, friend, or spouse hold you accountable.

If you slip up in your efforts to proactively take care of yourself, they will let you know so you can renew your focus and get back on course.

It’s important to have some sort of structure in place for successful self-care.

You need to take care of yourself before you can take care of anyone else.

A good self-care plan will provide you with the vigor, attitude, and energy to enjoy life to its fullest!

In what area of your life do you need to ask for help in order to move closer to your goals?

How have you nourished yourself to continue your positive transformations?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

January 19, 2018January 5, 2018

Posts

The Importance of Self-Respect

Faith fuels my endeavors.

The Power of Motivating Imagery

You can determine how confident people are by listening to what they don’t say about themselves. – Brian G. Jett

Tips for Making a Public Speech

I see the inspiration that surrounds me.

Top 10 Powerful Words to Keep You Motivated

I trust that there is a plan for my life, even if it has yet to be revealed to me.

What is Self-Care and Why is it Important?

I allow all of my tension to leave my body right away.