Motivation Questions Answered -2

As we start off a new year 2013 with new year’s resolutions and goals, it is important to keep ourselves motivated to stay on path of our goal. Here is 2nd part of question and answers series from the motivational expert Leo Babauta from Zen Habits. To see first part read here: Motivation questions answered Part 1.

11. What is your best advice on keeping focused on the important when the distractions in our lives are constant?

Figure out what’s distracting you, and how to minimize them, or at least put them in a certain place. Engineer your environment so the distractions are minimal. For example, shut off the Internet except for times when you really need it (predetermined times). At the very least, shut off email notifications and anything else that pops up and tells you there’s a new message or tweet or whatever. Close those programs and only have what you need for the task in front of you.

Learn to focus for short amounts of time — say 10 or 15 minutes. Then lengthen that time gradually, by 5 minutes, until you can focus for 45-60 minutes at a time — or more. And enjoy that time of focus — it’s fantastic.

12. How do you stay motivated in business when you have never done something before & the results won’t show up until down the road?

Learn to love the process, and don’t let your happiness be so dependent on the outcome. Be passionate about the actual things you do, do them because you love it, and you’ll stick with it. The great things that result will be a natural by-product.

13. Thoughts on getting unstuck?

If you’re stuck on a project or task, give your brain a breather or a jolt. A breather could be going outside to take a walk, doing a little bit of easy meditation (focus on your breath as it comes in, then goes out, for a minute or two), or doing something fun like a game for a few minutes (like 5-20 minutes). A jolt could be some kind of inspiration — read blogs or books you find inspiring, look for something others are doing that inspire you to do something creative.

If you’re stuck in life, that requires a bit more work, but think of it as an opportunity to re-invent yourself and your life. Take a break from work if possible — even if it’s just for an hour or two, but a day or two is even better. Think of it as a necessary work session, because it will help you get unstuck. Take this break as a breather from your normal routine, but use it not just to veg out but to think, to get some perspective, to take a wider look at your life. What are you doing that you love doing? What can you eliminate that’s both unnecessary and unexciting? If you hate what you’re doing, can you change it to something you love, or can you change jobs? Can you automate or outsource things that you don’t enjoy, or eliminate them, so you can focus on creating, on things you do enjoy? Make a list of things you’d like to do, in the short-term and long-term, and then start implementing them, one little thing at a time.

14. How do you stay away from distractions? Do you do just one thing at a time or multitask in a planned way?

I’m a big proponent of single-tasking. Multi-tasking can work in some cases but most of the time it gets in the way of focusing on what’s really important. Multi-tasking can work for little tasks, like checking email and your bank account and Facebook and things like that. But you should set aside time for the important tasks — earlier rather than later, when things might get too busy.

When you’re going to work on an important task, clear away all distractions and focus just on that one task. Close programs you don’t need, clear away clutter on your desk, turn off any notifications, turn off your mobile devices, and preferably shut off the Internet and close your browser.

15. How do you determine when you’ve reached a minimalist lifestyle?

It’s not a destination, it’s a mindset. You’re a minimalist once you decide to have less and do less, when you decided to stick with enough and not go for more. I consider myself a minimalist, but I know there’s much more I could do if I wanted to. I could go live in a cabin in the woods, in Alaska, and be off the grid. I could use or eat nothing I didn’t make myself. But that’s not realistic, for my life, so I just reduce what I own and use and do, and slowly change over time.

Any lasting change should be done slowly and gradually anyway. So think of it not so much as a destination but a long-term process, and you’ll improve over time. You’re never there, at that “minimalist lifestyle” exactly, but at the same time you’re always there, if your mind is in the right place.

16. If you could offer only one piece of advice about beginning … changing habits, starting fresh … what would it be?

Start with one little step at a time. That’s obvious, but you might be surprised at how many people try to change 5-10 habits at once, to start afresh. It’s too hard to make drastic changes like that.

Changes made gradually don’t seem hard at all. For example, instead of giving up meat altogether to become vegetarian, you could just eat some vegetarian dishes on different nights of the week. That will soon become normal, as you learn new recipes and adjust your taste buds. Then add more meatless meals, and so on, and each step along the way, you’ll adjust and that will become the new “normal” for you. Over time, you’ll have made great changes, but each step along the way is a small one and not difficult at all.

17. How do you sustain self-motivation when you suffer a setback toward your goals?

I always try to enjoy what I’m doing. If there’s a setback, that’s not a problem, because the progress I’m making isn’t as important as doing the activity (running, reading, writing, cycling, whatever). And because I enjoy the activity, I’ll keep doing it, even if there’s a setback.

Just realize that setbacks are not the ending points, unless you let them become so. They’re just a little stone on the road — kick it aside, go over it, walk around it, but just keep walking. And enjoy the journey.

18. Besides your own book, what one book would you recommend to help someone find their motivation?

I’ve never found a single book that will motivate someone. Books can help inspire, but there’s too many to choose from — I’d probably recommend The Art of Happiness by The Dalai Lama or any book by Thich Naht Hanh (Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life, and True Love: A Practice for Awakening the Heart). But one of the books I recommend most, that really reflects how I try to approach things, is Slowing Down to the Speed of Life, by Richard Carlson and Joseph Bailey. It’s not motivational but if you try the techniques in the book you’ll find that you’ll easily create the habits you want with a minimum of stress.

19. What do you do when you used to love your work, but passion has been killed by work/life balance issues?

There are two approaches I’ve tried and recommend. The first is to try to reinvigorate your work, to find new appreciation and passion for your work. This is the easiest method, from one point of view, but at the same time isn’t always possible if you truly hate your job. To do it, you have to look at the things you enjoy about your job, to appreciate things about your job that you take for granted, and to try to change your job so that it’s something you love doing. You can do that by creating projects and work for yourself, with buy-in from your boss or team, that you’re excited about.

The second approach is more drastic but for me has been so much more rewarding — changing jobs to something you really love doing. This takes a little more time, and more courage. I suggest you start doing the job you want to do on the side — even for free at first, until you get good at it or spread your reputation enough that you can charge. Eventually, as you gain confidence and skills, you’ll want to take the plunge and quit your regular job.

Either way, you’ll need to address the root problem: you need to find balance in your life and time for things other than work. Workaholism is a problem when work becomes a problem — meaning if it’s sapping you of passion, you need to make a change. Set limits — stop working after a certain time, and schedule some non-work things that you enjoy. Exercise, hobbies, doing things with friends or family, creating in some way, reading, anything other than work. Find the balance that works for you — it takes time and experimenting, but most of all it takes a consciousness that you want to change your life.

20. How have the types of habits you have cultivated evolved over time?

Great question. As with anyone, my habits have changed since I started blogging — I didn’t just cultivate some fundamental habits and then stop, living a static life. I’m always trying new things out, and my philosophy is always evolving as I learn. So some of the things you might’ve read when I started Zen Habits back in early 2007 don’t quite apply to what I’m doing today.

A good example is back in those days I was all about productivity in the traditional sense — knocking out tasks as quickly as possible, Getting Things Done, cranking widgets, making the most of every minute. But as I’ve evolved, that has become less important to me. I’ve simplified, and now I focus on what’s important, on enjoying what I do, on creating, rather than on getting so much done. It’s a more human approach to work, rather than an industrial drone type of approach.

In fact, I think I’ve become simpler over time. I don’t stress out about my running as much, and instead just go out to enjoy the run. I don’t worry about waking early so much, although I definitely enjoy the early morning and try to wake early so I can read and work in the quiet before dawn. I don’t keep track of all my tasks as much as I used to, so that at any given moment I might not have an up-to-date task list but I know what I want to focus on right now.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

Motivation Question Answered

This below article is excerpt from Motivational hacks expert Leo Babauta from Zen Habits, sharing his wisdom on all things motivational for daily life. This is 2 part series, to see second part of the series, click here: Motivation questions answered: part 2.

It’s that time of year — the end part — when people start thinking about their lives, their goals, their habits, and how to change everything for the better. As always, I’m here to help if I can.

Today I’ve answered 10 questions from your fellow readers, who submitted them via the Twitter. I don’t claim to be perfect, but have learned a lot about habits and motivation in the last four or five years of habit changes (see My Story for more). I share some of what I’ve learned with the caveat, of course, that what works for me might not work for you. I hope it helps nevertheless.

1. How do you motivate yourself to get work done after trying many things and failing over and over again?

Motivation is first just about taking that first step — just getting excited about something enough to get started. Then it’s about focusing on enjoying what you’re doing, right now, instead of worrying about how you’re going to get to a destination.

You also need to forget about your failures, or at least the part of them that gets you discouraged. Take away from your failures a lesson about what obstacles stand in your way, and leave behind any bad feelings. Those are in the past. Focus on right now, and how fun the activity is, right now.

2. What moved you to first start the change into the Leo we know today? What was your very first step?

We’re the sum of all we’ve done in the past, from childhood on, so there’s no one thing that led me to the person I am or the life I’m living. However, I can definitely say that quitting smoking was a turning point for me, for a couple of reasons:

* It showed me that I could successfully change a habit, which I had no confidence in before that, after failing a number of times.
* I learned a lot of successful habit change principles from quitting smoking, which I applied to all future habit changes. See my book, The Power of Less, for details.

3. Why do we willfully and consciously engage in self-destructive habits while ignoring our better judgment?

I don’t think this has been fully answered, but in my view it’s that we don’t rationally weigh the risks vs. costs.

When we smoke, we think it’s too hard to quit, too painful over the few weeks it takes to quit (cost), but it’s not properly weighed against the risks of not quitting (major illnesses, suffering for years, early death, incredible expenses for cigarettes and hospitalization, etc.).

The same is true of unhealthy eating — not eating the junk food is too hard, but the risk of eating it is obesity, health problems, self-esteem issues, high medical bills, gym costs if we want to get back into shape, years of suffering, etc.

The pain of quitting is now, while the pain of continuing is much later, and so it doesn’t seem too bad. So the answer is to replace the bad habit with a good habit that you enjoy immensely, and focus on that enjoyment, right now, rather than the pain.

4. What is your favorite low tech and high tech way to track progress on your habits?
I’ve tried lots of high-tech trackers — from Joe’s Goals to The Daily Plate to the Daily Mile to Fit Day — but my current favorite is Daytum. It’s really easy to enter data, and you can display it publicly in many useful ways. People can look at my Daytum and see how I’m doing, and that motivates me to keep going.

As for low-tech solutions, my favorite is a Moleskine notebook. Easy to carry around, nice to use.

5. How can I become a “Morning Person”? I feel it’s a key to success.

While I intentionally became an early riser, and I love it, it’s not really a key to success. It’s one way to find the time to pursue your dreams, and it’s the way I chose, but I know night owls (famously, Tim Ferriss) who find they’re much more productive in the middle of the night. Find what works best for you.

But to answer your question: do it slowly, five minutes earlier each morning, and do something enjoyable with your extra time. Focus on how wonderful the time of day is, how enjoyable the activity, and not how much you’re suffering because it’s too damn early. You’ll learn to love it, and you’ll adjust over time.

6. If for a moment you start to feel overwhelmed by the complexities of life, how do you simplify to get where you want to be?

Take a deep breath, and let all the chaos and frustration flow out of you. Focus not all all the things you need to do, or that are coming up, or that have happened, but on what you’re doing right now. And just focus on doing one thing, right now.

I would take a walk, get some fresh air, and get some perspective. Try to think about what’s most important to you, what your perfect life would be like, what your perfect day would look like.

Then, one small step at a time, start making it happen. What’s standing in the way? What can you change right now? What can you change tomorrow? What long-term changes can you start making?

Declutter the area around you, a little at a time (or all at once, if you can find the free time and energy). Cut back on how much you’re doing, which will mean telling people who expect things of you that you just can’t do those things, because you have too much on your plate.

7. What’s the habit requiring the least effort that makes the greatest difference?

This will sound trite, but I’d say positive thinking. It’s not the easiest habit, as it requires that you start listening to your self-talk, and start telling yourself positive things instead of negative ones.

But it’s the one thing that will make the greatest difference, because it will enable all other habit changes. It has really made a huge difference in my life, and I think it’s a vital component to any plan to change your life.

8. What would be the 10 most motivating words I could say to myself every morning to get myself to exercise?

I would say these 10 words:

“Just lace up and get out the door. And smile.”

Once you get started, take that first step, the rest is easy. And smiling makes it enjoyable.

9. My hubby lacks interest in anything except boating. How can I motivate him to get off the sofa?

I don’t think you can motivate others — if they want to do something, they’ll do it. If they don’t, then don’t make them.

However, you can influence others in positive ways. I’d recommend setting an example by doing, and sharing how great it is, without judgment for what he’s doing. If he’s happy doing what he’s doing, then that’s great. If he’d like to do more, then be there for support — but don’t push.

You can ask for his help, as well, in your efforts. Sometimes spouses love to help, and that can rub off on them and get them thinking about trying it themselves. Or maybe not.

In the end, worry more about what you’re doing and less about what he’s doing — he’s living his life and you’re living yours. People don’t like to be pushed or judged or badgered, but like to be loved and accepted.

10. How to minimize tension/frustration with others who are less organized than you are!

It’s a matter of only worrying about what you can control, and accepting that which you can’t. You can’t control others or their organization level, so don’t even try to.

This is actually a deeper issue of control for many organized people — they want to control everything in the world around them (and for a long time I was one of them), but it’s impossible, and it only leads to stress and frustration and conflicts. Instead, learn to embrace a degree of chaos, accept that the world is out of your control, and love it. The world is a wonderfully unpredictable, wild, and beautiful place.

To learn to let go, every time you find yourself frustrated, stop, and breathe. Let the frustration flow out of you, and let peace come in. Remind yourself that you don’t have to control, and love others for their humanness. It takes time, but you can learn.

Source: here.

How To Motivate Yourself When You Are Down

20 Ways to Sustain Motivation When You’re Struggling

The important part of motivation is to keep yourself going when you don’t feel the same excitement as you did in the beginning. Perhaps something new has come into your life and your old goal isn’t as much of a priority anymore. Perhaps you skipped a day or two and now you can’t get back into it. Perhaps you screwed up and got discouraged.

If you can get yourself excited again, and keep going, you’ll get there eventually. But if you give up, you won’t. It’s your choice — accomplish the goal, or quit. Here’s how you can stop from quitting, and get to your goal:

Hold yourself back. When I start with a new exercise program, or any new goal really, I am rarin’ to go. I am full of excitement, and my enthusiasm knows no boundaries. Nor does my sense of self-limitation. I think I can do anything. It’s not long before I learn that I do have limitations, and my enthusiasm begins to wane. Well, a great motivator that I’ve learned is that when you have so much energy at the beginning of a program, and want to go all out — HOLD BACK. Don’t let yourself do everything you want to do. Only let yourself do 50-75 percent of what you want to do. And plan out a course of action where you slowly increase over time. For example, if I want to go running, I might think I can run 3 miles at first. But instead of letting myself do that, I start by only running a mile. When I’m doing that mile, I’ll be telling myself that I can do more! But I don’t let myself. After that workout, I’ll be looking forward to the next workout, when I’ll let myself do 1.5 miles. I keep that energy reined in, harness it, so that I can ride it even further.
Just start. There are some days when you don’t feel like heading out the door for a run, or figuring out your budget, or whatever it is you’re supposed to do that day for your goal. Well, instead of thinking about how hard it is, and how long it will take, tell yourself that you just have to start. I have a rule that I just have to put on my running shoes and close the door behind me. After that, it all flows naturally. It’s when you’re sitting in your house, thinking about running and feeling tired, that it seems hard. Once you start, it is never as hard as you thought it would be. This tip works for me every time.
Stay accountable. If you committed yourself publicly, through an online forum, on a blog, in email, or in person … stay accountable to that group of people. Commit to report back to them daily, or something like that, and stick to it! That accountability will help you to want to do well, because you don’t want to report that you’ve failed.
Squash negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. This is one of the most important motivation skills, and I suggest you practice it daily. It’s important to start monitoring your thoughts, and to recognize negative self-talk. Just spend a few days becoming aware of every negative thought. Then, after a few days, try squashing those negative thoughts like a bug, and then replacing them with a corresponding positive thought. Squash, “This is too hard!” and replace it with, “I can do this! If that wimp Leo can do it, so can I!” It sounds corny, but it works. Really.
Think about the benefits. Thinking about how hard something is is a big problem for most people. Waking early sounds so hard! Just thinking about it makes you tired. But instead of thinking about how hard something is, think about what you will get out of it. For example, instead of thinking about how hard it is to wake early, focus on how good you’ll feel when you’re done, and how your day will be so much better. The benefits of something will help energize you.
Get excited again! Think about why you lost your excitement … then think about why you were excited in the first place. Can you get that back? What made you want to do the goal? What made you passionate about it? Try to build that up again, refocus yourself, get energized.
Read about it. When I lose motivation, I just read a book or blog about my goal. It inspires me and reinvigorates me. For some reason, reading helps motivate and focus you on whatever you’re reading about. So read about your goal every day, if you can, especially when you’re not feeling motivated.
Find like-minded friends. Staying motivated on your own is tough. But if you find someone with similar goals (running, dieting, finances, etc.), see if they’d like to partner with you. Or partner with your spouse, sibling or best friend on whatever goals they’re trying to achieve. You don’t have to be going after the same goals — as long as you are both pushing and encouraging each other to succeed. Other good options are groups in your area (I’m part of a running club, for example) or online forums where you can find people to talk to about your goals.
Read inspiring stories. Inspiration, for me, comes from others who have achieved what I want to achieve, or who are currently doing it. I read other blogs, books, magazines. I Google my goal, and read success stories. Zen Habits is just one place for inspiration, not only from me but from many readers who have achieved amazing things. I love, love, love reading success stories too.
Build on your successes. Every little step along the way is a success — celebrate the fact that you even started! And then did it for two days! Celebrate every little milestone. Then take that successful feeling and build on it, with another baby step. Add 2-3 minutes to your exercise routine, for example. With each step (and each step should last about a week), you will feel even more successful. Make each step really, really small, and you won’t fail. After a couple of months, your tiny steps will add up to a lot of progress and a lot of success.
Just get through the low points. Motivation is not a constant thing that is always there for you. It comes and goes, and comes and goes again, like the tide. But realize that while it may go away, it doesn’t do so permanently. It will come back. Just stick it out and wait for that motivation to come back. In the meantime, read about your goal, ask for help, and do some of the other things listed here until your motivation comes back.
Get help. It’s hard to accomplish something alone. When I decided to run my marathon, I had the help of friends and family, and I had a great running community on Guam who encouraged me at 5K races and did long runs with me. When I decided to quit smoking, I joined an online forum and that helped tremendously. And of course, my wife Eva helped every step of the way. I couldn’t have done these goals without her, or without the others who supported me. Find your support network, either in the real world or online, or both.
Chart your progress. This can be as simple as marking an X on your calendar, or creating a simple spreadsheet, or logging your goal using online software. But it can be vastly rewarding to look back on your progress and to see how far you’ve come, and it can help you to keep going — you don’t want to have too many days without an X! Now, you will have some bad marks on your chart. That’s OK. Don’t let a few bad marks stop you from continuing. Strive instead to get the good marks next time.
Reward yourself often. For every little step along the way, celebrate your success, and give yourself a reward. It helps to write down appropriate rewards for each step, so that you can look forward to those rewards. By appropriate, I mean 1) it’s proportionate to the size of the goal (don’t reward going on a 1-mile run with a luxury cruise in the Bahamas); and 2) it doesn’t ruin your goal — if you are trying to lose weight, don’t reward a day of healthy eating with a dessert binge. It’s self-defeating.
Go for mini-goals. Sometimes large or longer-term goals can be overwhelming. After a couple weeks, we may lose motivation, because we still have several months or a year or more left to accomplish the goal. It’s hard to maintain motivation for a single goal for such a long time. Solution: have smaller goals along the way.
Get a coach or take a class. These will motivate you to at least show up, and to take action. It can be applied to any goal. This might be one of the more expensive ways of motivating yourself, but it works. And if you do some research, you might find some cheap classes in your area, or you might know a friend who will provide coaching or counseling for free.
Never skip two days in a row. This rule takes into account our natural tendency to miss days now and then. We are not perfect. So, you missed one day … now the second day is upon you and you are feeling lazy … tell yourself NO! You will not miss two days in a row!
Use visualization. Visualize your successful outcome in great detail. Close your eyes, and think about exactly how your successful outcome will look, will feel, will smell and taste and sound like. Where are you when you become successful? How do you look? What are you wearing? Form as clear a mental picture as possible. Now here’s the next key: do it every day. For at least a few minutes each day. This is the only way to keep that motivation going over a long period of time.
Be aware of your urges to quit, and overcome them. We all have urges to stop, but they are mostly unconscious. One of the most powerful things you can do is to start being more conscious of those urges. A good exercise is to go through the day with a little piece of paper and put a tally mark for each time you get an urge. It simply makes you aware of the urges. Then have a plan for when those urges hit, and plan for it beforehand, and write down your plan, because once those urges hit, you will not feel like coming up with a plan.
Find pleasure again. No one can stick to something for long if they find it unpleasant, and are only rewarded after months of toil. There has to be fun, pleasure, joy in it, every day, or you won’t want to do it. Find those pleasurable things — the beauty of a morning run, for example, or the satisfaction in reporting to people that you finished another step along the way, or the deliciousness of a healthy meal.

“Never, never, never, never give up.” – Winston Churchill

8 Ways to Motivate Yourself

There is only so long that you can go trying to motivate yourself to do something you don’t like to do, something you don’t want to do. But if you find ways to really want to do something, you can sustain your effort for much, much longer.

8 Ways to Motivate Yourself From the Beginning

I’ve found that it’s important to start out with the right motivation, because a good start can build momentum that you can sustain for a long time. If you start out right, you have a much better chance of succeeding. Here are some tips for starting out:

1. Start small.

I’ve said this before, but that’s because it’s one of the most important tips in motivating yourself toward a goal. Don’t start out big! Start out with a ridiculously easy goal, and then grow from there. If you want to exercise, for example, you may be thinking that you have to do these intense workouts 5 days a week. No — instead, do small, tiny, baby steps. Just do 2 minutes of exercise. I know, that sounds wimpy. But it works. Commit to 2 minutes of exercise for one week. You may want to do more, but just stick to 2 minutes. It’s so easy, you can’t fail. Do it at the same time, every day. Just some crunches, 2 pushups, and some jogging in place. Once you’ve done 2 minutes a day for a week, increase it to 5, and stick with that for a week. In a month, you’ll be doing 15-20. Want to wake up early? Don’t think about waking at 5 a.m. Instead, think about waking 10 minutes earlier for a week. That’s all. Once you’ve done that, wake 10 minutes earlier than that. Baby steps.

2.One goal.

Too many people start with too many goals at once, and try to do too much. And it saps energy and motivation. It’s probably the most common mistake that people make. You cannot maintain energy and focus (the two most important things in accomplishing a goal) if you are trying to do two or more goals at once. It’s not possible — I’ve tried it many times. You have to choose one goal, for now, and focus on it completely. I know, that’s hard. Still, I speak from experience. You can always do your other goals when you’ve accomplished your One Goal.

3. Examine your motivation.

Know your reasons. Give them some thought … and write them down. If you have loved ones, and you are doing it for them, that is more powerful than just doing it for self-interest. Doing it for yourself is good too, but you should do it for something that you REALLY REALLY want to happen, for really good reasons.

4. Really, really want it.

This is essentially the same as the above tip, but I want to emphasize it: it’s not enough to think it would be cool to achieve something. It has to be something you’re passionate about, something you’re super excited about, something you want deeply. Make sure that your goal meets these criteria, or you won’t stick with it for long.

5. Commit publicly.

None of us likes to look bad in front of others. We will go the extra mile to do something we’ve said publicly. For example, when I wanted to run my first marathon, I started writing a column about it in my local daily newspaper. The entire island of Guam (pop. 160K) knew about my goal. I couldn’t back down, and even though my motivation came and went, I stuck with it and completed it. Now, you don’t have to commit to your goal in your daily newspaper, but you can do it with friends and family and co-workers, and you can do it on your blog if you have one. And hold yourself accountable — don’t just commit once, but commit to giving progress updates to everyone every week or so.

6. Get excited.

Well, it starts with inspiration from others (see above), but you have to take that excitement and build on it. For me, I’ve learned that by talking to my wife about it, and to others, and reading as much about it as possible, and visualizing what it would be like to be successful (seeing the benefits of the goal in my head), I get excited about a goal. Once I’ve done that, it’s just a matter of carrying that energy forward and keeping it going.

7. Build anticipation.

This will sound hard, and many people will skip this tip. But it really works. It helped me quit smoking after many failed attempts. If you find inspiration and want to do a goal, don’t start right away. Many of us will get excited and want to start today. That’s a mistake. Set a date in the future — a week or two, or even a month — and make that your Start Date. Mark it on the calendar. Get excited about that date. Make it the most important date in your life. In the meantime, start writing out a plan. And do some of the steps below. Because by delaying your start, you are building anticipation, and increasing your focus and energy for your goal.

8. Print it out, post it up.

Print out your goal in big words. Make your goal just a few words long, like a mantra (”Exercise 15 mins. Daily”), and post it up on your wall or refrigerator. Post it at home and work. Put it on your computer desktop. You want to have big reminders about your goal, to keep your focus and keep your excitement going. A picture of your goal also helps.

20 Motivation Hacks For Life

Everyone can use motivation hacks for daily living. No matter how optimistic or motivation we have, occasionally we all need help and reminder to get back in track. Here they are, in reverse order.

#20: Chart Your Progress. Recently I posted about how I created a chart to track my progress with each of my goals. This chart is not just for information purposes, for me to look back and see how I’m doing. It’s to motivate me to keep up with my goals. If I’m diligent about checking my chart every day, and marking dots or “x”s, then I will want to make sure I fill it with dots. I will think to myself, “I better do this today if I want to mark a dot.” Well, that’s a small motivation, but it helps, trust me. Some people prefer to use gold stars. Others have a training log, which works just as well. Or try Joe’s Goals. However you do it, track your progress, and allow yourself a bit of pride each time you give yourself a good mark.

Now, you will have some bad marks on your chart. That’s OK. Don’t let a few bad marks stop you from continuing. Strive instead to get the good marks next time.

#19: Hold Yourself Back. When I start with a new exercise program, or any new goal really, I am ready to go. I am full of excitement, and my enthusiasm knows no boundaries. Nor does my sense of self-limitation. I think I can do anything. It’s not long before I learn that I do have limitations, and my enthusiasm begins to wane.

Well, a great motivator that I’ve learned is that when you have so much energy at the beginning of a program, and want to go all out — HOLD BACK. Don’t let yourself do everything you want to do. Only let yourself do 50-75 percent of what you want to do. And plan out a course of action where you slowly increase over time. For example, if I want to go running, I might think I can run 3 miles at first. But instead of letting myself do that, I start by only running a mile. When I’m doing that mile, I’ll be telling myself that I can do more! But I don’t let myself. After that workout, I’ll be looking forward to the next workout, when I’ll let myself do 1.5 miles. I keep that energy reined in, harness it, so that I can ride it even further.

#18: Join an online (or off-line) group to help keep you focused and motivated. When I started to run, more than a year ago, I joined a few different forums, at different times, on different sites, such as Men’s Health (the Belly-Off Runner’s Club), Runner’s World, Cool Running, and the running group at About.com. I did the same when I was quitting smoking.

Each time I joined a forum, it helped keep me on track. Not only did I meet a bunch of other people who were either going through what I was going through or who had already been through it, I would report my progress (and failures) as I went along. They were there for great advice, for moral support, to help keep me going when I wanted to stop.

#17: Post a picture of your goal someplace visible — near your desk or on your refrigerator, for example. Visualizing your goal, exactly how you think it will be when you’ve achieved it, whether it’s financial goals like traveling to Rome or building a dream house, or physical goals like finishing a marathon or getting a flat stomach, is a great motivator and one of the best ways of actualizing your goals.

Find a magazine photo or a picture online and post it somewhere where you can see it not only daily, but hourly if possible. Put it as your desktop photo, or your home page. Use the power of your visual sense to keep you focused on your goal. Because that focus is what will keep you motivated over the long term — once you lose focus, you lose motivation, so having something to keep bringing your focus back to your goal will help keep that motivation.

#16: Get a workout partner or goal buddy. Staying motivated on your own is tough. But if you find someone with similar goals (running, dieting, finances, etc.), see if they’d like to partner with you. Or partner with your spouse, sibling or best friend on whatever goals they’re trying to achieve. You don’t have to be going after the same goals — as long as you are both pushing and encouraging each other to succeed.

#15: Just get started. There are some days when you don’t feel like heading out the door for a run, or figuring out your budget, or whatever it is you’re supposed to do that day for your goal. Well, instead of thinking about how hard it is, and how long it will take, tell yourself that you just have to start.

I have a rule (not an original one) that I just have to put on my running shoes and close the door behind me. After that, it all flows naturally. It’s when you’re sitting in your house, thinking about running and feeling tired, that it seems hard. Once you start, it is never as hard as you thought it would be. This tip works for me every time.

#14: Make it a pleasure. One reason we might put off something that will help us achieve our goal, such as exercise for example, is because it seems like hard work. Well, this might be true, but the key is to find a way to make it fun or pleasurable. If your goal activity becomes a treat, you actually look forward to it. And that’s a good thing.

#13: Give it time, be patient. I know, this is easier said than done. But the problem with many of us is that we expect quick results. When you think about your goals, think long term. If you want to lose weight, you may see some quick initial losses, but it will take a long time to lose the rest. If you want to run a marathon, you won’t be able to do it overnight. If you don’t see the results you want soon, don’t give up … give it time. In the meantime, be happy with your progress so far, and with your ability to stick with your goals. The results will come if you give it time.

#12: Break it into smaller, mini goals. Sometimes large or longer-term goals can be overwhelming. After a couple weeks, we may lose motivation, because we still have several months or a year or more left to accomplish the goal. It’s hard to maintain motivation for a single goal for such a long time. Solution: have smaller goals along the way.

#11: Reward yourself. Often. And not just for longer-term goals, either. In Hack #12, I talked about breaking larger goals into smaller, mini goals. Well, each of those mini goals should have a reward attached to it. Make a list of your goals, with mini goals, and next to each, write down an appropriate reward. By appropriate, I mean 1) it’s proportionate to the size of the goal (don’t reward going on a 1-mile run with a luxury cruise in the Bahamas); and 2) it doesn’t ruin your goal — if you are trying to lose weight, don’t reward a day of healthy eating with a dessert binge. It’s self-defeating.

#10: Find inspiration, on a daily basis. Inspiration is one of the best motivators, and it can be found everywhere. Every day, seek inspiration, and it will help sustain motivation over the long term. Sources of inspiration can include: blogs, online success stories, forums, friends and family, magazines, books, quotes, music, photos, people you meet.

#9: Get a coach or take a class. These will motivate you to at least show up, and to take action. It can be applied to any goal. This might be one of the more expensive ways of motivating yourself, but it works. And if you do some research, you might find some cheap classes in your area, or you might know a friend who will provide coaching or counseling for free.

#8: Have powerful reasons. Write them down. Know your reasons. Give them some thought … and write them down. If you have loved ones, and you are doing it for them, that is more powerful than just doing it for self-interest. Doing it for yourself is good too, but you should do it for something that you REALLY REALLY want to happen, for really good reasons.

#7: Become aware of your urges to quit, and be prepared for them. We all have urges to stop, but they are mostly unconscious. One of the most powerful things you can do is to start being more conscious of those urges. A good exercise is to go through the day with a little piece of paper and put a tally mark for each time you get an urge. It simply makes you aware of the urges. Then have a plan for when those urges hit, and plan for it beforehand, and write down your plan, because once those urges hit, you will not feel like coming up with a plan.

#6: Make it a rule never to skip two days in a row.This rule takes into account our natural tendency to miss days now and then. We are not perfect. So, you missed one day … now the second day is upon you and you are feeling lazy … tell yourself NO! You will not miss two days in a row! Zen Habits says so! And just get started. You’ll thank yourself later.

#5: Visualize your goal clearly, on a daily basis, for at least 5-10 minutes. Visualize your successful outcome in great detail. Close your eyes, and think about exactly how your successful outcome will look, will feel, will smell and taste and sound like. Where are you when you become successful? How do you look? What are you wearing? Form as clear a mental picture as possible. Now here’s the next key: do it every day. For at least a few minutes each day. This is the only way to keep that motivation going over a long period of time.

#4: Keep a daily journal of your goal. If you are consistent about keeping a journal, it can be a great motivator. A journal should have not only what you did for the day, but your thoughts about how it went, how you felt, what mistakes you made, what you could do to improve. To be consistent about keeping a journal, do it right after you do your goal task each day. Make keeping a journal a sensory pleasure.

#3: Create a friendly, mutually-supportive competition.We are all competitive in nature, at least a little. Some more than others. Take advantage of this part of our human nature by using it to fuel your goals. If you have a workout partner or goal buddy, you’ve got all you need for a friendly competition. See who can log more miles, or save more dollars, each week or month. See who can do more pushups or pullups. See who can lose the most weight or have the best abs or lose the most inches on their waist. Make sure the goals are weighted so that the competition is fairly equal. And mutually support each other in your goals.

#2: Make a big public commitment. Be fully committed. This will do the trick every time. Create a blog and announce to the world that you are going to achieve a certain goal by a certain date. Commit yourself to the hilt.

#1: Always think positive. Squash all negative thoughts. Monitor your thoughts. Be aware of your self-talk. We all talk to ourselves, a lot, but we are not always aware of these thoughts. Start listening. If you hear negative thoughts, stop them, push them out, and replace them with positive thoughts. Positive thinking can be amazingly powerful.

Source: here

Gift of Life: Motivational Moral Story

Many of us are living life without truly appreciating it. We take our loved ones, kids, girl friend, boy friend, or spouse for granted. We may feel embarrassed by our parents or crazy siblings to save face however, if we only look at the life differently, and appreciate those around us and look at both side before complaining to god or simply complaining and living un-complete life. See inspirational and motivational wisdom moral story below and take time to hug your loved ones.

Life Is A Gift

Today before you think of saying an unkind word–
think of someone who can’t speak.

Before you complain about the taste of your food–
think of someone who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife–
think of someone who is crying out to God for a companion.

Today before you complain about life–
think of someone who went too early to heaven.

Before you complain about your children–
think of someone who desires children but they’re barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house, someone didn’t clean or sweep–
think of the people who are living in the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive–
think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job–
think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job.

But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another–
remember that not one of us are without sin and we all answer to one maker.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down–
put a smile on your face and thank God you’re alive and still around.

Life is a gift – Live it, Enjoy it, Celebrate it, and Fulfill it.

Above story was submitted by reader Melinda Holmes. If you have story or quotes to submit, please submit via contact us form.

Dalai Lama Instructions For Life

The Dalai Lama’s Instructions for Life

Dalai Lama has said these motivational and inspirational quotes and instructions for life. Here are these wise sayings from spiritual person’s to inspire us to be better human beings.

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
Follow the three R’s:- Respect for self. – Respect for others.- Responsibility for all of your actions.
Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
Spend some time alone every day.
Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
Be gentle with the earth.
Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Read Inspirational Dalai Lama Books here.

Top 10 Love Quotes: Most Romantic Sayings

There are many great love quotes about funny love, cute love and heart break. Here are 10 love quotes to make you listen to your heart for once and forget mind.

Fill your heart and home with love with these cute love and romance quotes.

10 Love Quotes For you!

10. “To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage.”- Lao Tzu

9. “The person who tries to live alone will not succeed as a human being. His heart withers if it does not answer another heart. His mind shrinks away if he hears only the echoes of his own thoughts and finds no other inspiration.” – Peter S. Buck

8. “With love and patience, nothing is impossible”- Daisaku Ikeda

7. “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” -Helen Keller

6. “If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever.” -Alfred Lord Tennyson

5. “Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition.”
-Alexander Smith

4. “If you have love in your life it can make up for a great many things you lack. If you don’t have it, no matter what else there is, it’s not enough.” -Ann Landers

3. “You know you’re in love when you don’t want to fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” -Dr. Seuss

2. “I love you, not only for what you are, But for what I am when I am with you.” -Roy Croft

My favorite and #1 quote for love is;
“People were created to be loved;
Things were created to be used;
The reason why world seems to be in CHAOS,
is because things are being loved;
and people are being used.”

I am not sure who the original author of above quote is, but it is so profound. No wonder the modern world, we feel something is not right, and now we can pinpoint the reason and fix it in our life.

Feel Love, Listen to your heart. Heart has never steered anyone wrong, listening to mind over your heart may keep you maybe rich or popular but rarely happy. Find a balance that your heart and mind wants it together! Finding harmony in life is always a best route.

Source: Love quotes

Breaking Dawn Quotes From Twilight Series

There is Breaking Dawn movie out right now, which is second in series of twilight series books out of many successful book series. Here are some good quotes from the movie breaking dawn.

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Breaking Dawn Movie Quotes from Twilight

Edward Cullen: No measure of time with you will be long enough. But we’ll start with forever.

Bella Swan: You have to accept this for what it is.
Edward Cullen: Because you’ve given me no choice.

Edward Cullen: I’ll meet you at the altar.
Bella Swan: I’ll be the one in white.

Charlie Swan: You’re ready?
Bella Swan: Yeah. Just don’t let me fall, Dad.
Charlie Swan: Never.

Dr. Carlisle Cullen: What were you thinking?
Jacob Black: [smirks] That it’s just looking for someone to sink it’s teeth into.
Bella Swan: He’s thirsty.
Emmett Cullen: I know the feeling…

Charlie Swan: Edward will be a good husband. I know this because I’m a cop, I know things. Like how to hunt somebody to the ends of the earth
[people laugh]
Charlie Swan: and I know how to use a gun.

Charlie Swan: [on the phone with Bella] Well, you sound better.
Bella Swan: I am. I feel much better.
Charlie Swan: This whole thing must have put a kink in the whole honeymoon, huh?
Bella Swan: You could say that.
Charlie Swan: Otherwise, married life treating you okay? Edward still walks on water and all that?
Bella Swan: Yeah, but I mean, it is different now.
Charlie Swan: The important thing is that you’re better and that you’re coming home soon, right?

Jacob Black: You’re gonna make her drink that?
Dr. Carlisle Cullen: [pours blood into a drinking glass] It’s the fastest way to test the theory.
Jacob Black: [moves away from Bella] I think I’m gonna be sick.

Emmett Cullen: Bella, I hope you’ve been getting enough sleep these last 18 years, because you won’t be getting any more for a while.

Seth: How cool is this? A two-man pack. Two against the world.
Jacob Black: You’re getting on my nerves, Seth.
Seth: Right. Shutting up. Can do.

Jacob Black: Don’t do that.
Bella Swan: What?
Jacob Black: Smile like I’m your favorite person on the world.
Bella Swan: You’re one of them. It feels complete when you’re here, Jake.

Bella Swan: Are you okay? Being here?
Jacob Black: Why? Afraid I’ll trash your party?
[hears growling in the woods]
Jacob Black: You’re not the only one. You think I’d be used to telling you goodbye by now. Come on, you’re not supposed to be the one crying, Bella.
Bella Swan: Everyone cries at weddings.

Edward Cullen: It’s not too late to change your mind.
Bella Swan: What? Now you’re having second thoughts?
[studies Edward’s face]
Bella Swan: You are.
Edward Cullen: No. I’ve been waiting a century to marry you, Miss Swan.
Bella Swan: But? But?
Edward Cullen: I haven’t told you everything about myself.
Bella Swan: [sarcastically] hat? You’re not a virgin?

Bella Swan: Childhood is not from birth to a certain age. And at a certain age, the child is grown and puts away childish things. Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.

Renée: Thanks! Charlie, get in here!
Charlie Swan: You sure? I don’t wanna.
[to Bella’s surprise]
Charlie Swan: I know, I look hot.
Renée: We thought you needed something blue.
Charlie Swan: And something old besides your mother.
Renée: Nice.

Bella Swan: So this party. Will there be strippers?
Edward Cullen: [laughs] No, just a couple of mountain lions. Maybe a few bears.
Jasper Hale: Don’t worry, Bella, we’ll give him back in plenty of time.
Bella Swan: Okay, go before they break my house.
Emmett Cullen: Let’s go! Let’s go!

Bella Swan: Jake.
Jacob Black: Listen to me, Bella.
Bella Swan: [yells] Let me go!
Edward Cullen: Jacob, calm down. Alright?
Jacob Black: [yelling] Are you out of your mind? Huh? You’ll kill her!
Seth: Walk away, Jacob!
Sam Uley: Enough, Jacob.
Jacob Black: Stay out of this, Sam.
Sam Uley: You’re not going to start something that we’ll have to finish.
Jacob Black: She’ll die.
Sam Uley: She’s not our concern anymore.

Edward Cullen: Do you wanna go for a swim?
Bella Swan: Yeah, that sounds nice. I could use a few human minutes.
Edward Cullen: Don’t take too long, Mrs. Cullen.
Bella Swan: Okay.

Edward Cullen: How badly are you hurt?
Bella Swan: What?
Edward Cullen: No, Bella, look.
[shows bruises on her body]
Edward Cullen: Bella, I can’t tell you how sorry I am.
Bella Swan: I’m not! Really, I’m not. I’m fine.
Edward Cullen: Don’t say you’re fine. Just don’t.
Bella Swan: No, you don’t. Don’t ruin this.
Edward Cullen: I’ve already ruined it.
Bella Swan: Why can’t you see how perfectly happy I am? Or was five seconds ago. I mean now I’m sort of pissed off, actually.
Edward Cullen: You should be angry with me.
Bella Swan: I mean, we knew this was going to be tricky, right? I think we did amazing. I mean, it was amazing for me.

Edward Cullen: Bella? You having a nightmare?
Bella Swan: No. It was just a dream. It was a really good dream.
Edward Cullen: Then why are you crying?
Bella Swan: Because I wanted it to be real.
Edward Cullen: Tell me.
[is kissed by Bella]
Edward Cullen: Bella, I can’t.
Bella Swan: Please. Please?

Edward Cullen: Bella, these are our housekeepers, Gustavo and Kaure.
[in Portuguese]
Edward Cullen: This is my wife, Bella.
Gustavo: Excuse me.
[leaves fearfully with Kaure]

Billy: Hey son.
Jacob Black: What’s going on?
Billy: Bella called him.
Charlie Swan: Hey, I haven’t seen you in a while. You okay?
Jacob Black: So you finally heard from Bella?
Charlie Swan: They’re extending their trip. Seems she caught a bug. They wanna wait until she feels better before they travel.
Jacob Black: She’s sick.

Alice Cullen: Bella? Are you alright?
Bella Swan: I’m not 100% sure.
Alice Cullen: Why? What’s wrong? I just.
Bella Swan: You just what? Alice, what did you see?
Alice Cullen: Here’s Carlisle.
Dr. Carlisle Cullen: Bella, what’s going on?
Bella Swan: I don’t know.
[looks at Edward]
Bella Swan: I’m a little worried. Can vampires go into shock?
Dr. Carlisle Cullen: Has Edward been harmed?
Bella Swan: No. I know that it’s impossible, but I think that I’m pregnant.
[reacts in pain]

Edward Cullen: Damn it. Kaure’s making sure you’re still alive.
Kaure: [in Portuguese] What did you do with her?
Edward Cullen: What do you know about this?
Kaure: I know that you are a demon! You killed this little girl!
Bella Swan: What?
Edward Cullen: [to Bella] Her people have legends. She might have seen this before.
[to Kaure in Portuguese]
Edward Cullen: Please. Tell me how to help her.

Bella Swan: Edward, I’m sorry.
Edward Cullen: I can’t live without you.
Bella Swan: You won’t. You’re gonna have a part of me. He’ll need you.
Edward Cullen: Do you honestly think that I could love it or even tolerate it if it killed you?
Bella Swan: It’s not his fault. You have to accept what is.
Edward Cullen: [yells] Because you’ve given me no choice! Bella, we’re supposed to be partners. Remember? But you decided this on your own. You’ve decided to leave me.

Jacob Black: You’d risk your lives for her?
Esme Cullen: Of course we would. Bella’s a part of our family now.
Jacob Black: Yeah, I can see that. This really is a family. As strong as the one I was born into.

Jacob Black: It’s like gravity. Your whole center shifts. Suddenly, it’s not the Earth holding you here. You would do anything, be anything she needs. A friend, a brother, a protector.

Edward Cullen: Maybe I was too late.
Dr. Carlisle Cullen: No, Edward. Listen to her heart.

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Inspirational Finding Peace In Busy World Quotes

This post is repost. It was original posted on Jan 2011 here on Motivational Quotes HeadQuarters Site.

Many of our life can be chaotic and stressful at the time. There is a saying: “when it rains, it pours!” and “Misery Loves company”. I am having share of my life issues at the moment that I feel overwhelm despite trying to live calm and simple life. I am sure many of us, have been in situation like this once in our life, sometimes more. I have written about finding ways out of overwhelm and simplifying life before.

Today I want to share how to find peace, with noise and chaos around us and still function. While, I am going through this phase, these quotes have helped me and inspired me and I am sure it will inspire and motivate you as well. We can not change certain aspects of our life but we can change our attitude towards it for positive and upbeat outlook!

Resource Books to Find Peace in Your Life:

Finding Peace By Jean Vanier: One of our deepest human desires and needs is to live in peace. We all yearn for peace, but what is it exactly? How do we find it, and how can we bring peace to our lives and our communities? Jean Vanier reflects on recent world events, identifying the sources of conflict and fear within and among individuals, communities, and nations that thwart us in our quest for peace.

21 Ways to Finding Peace and Happiness: Overcoming Anxiety, Fear, and Discontentment Every Day by Joyce Meyer: In today’s world, peace is hard to come by. When personal desires are followed, serenity is forfeited. By submitting one’s life to God, a peace-filled life is ensured.

A smile is the beginning of peace.
– Mother Teresa

Whenever you are sincerely pleased, you are nourished.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

End each day with thoughts of peace. Begin each day with
thoughts of peace. Continue thinking thoughts of peace
throughout your precious day and happiness will be yours.

Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek but a means by
which we arrive at that goal.
– Martin Luther King, Jr.

When we are present in each moment, the past gently rolls up
behind us and the future slowly unravels before us.
– Rev Richard Levy

Everything you do can be done better from a place of relaxation.
– Stephen C. Paul

Life is lived in the present. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow is
yet to be. Today is the miracle.

The quieter you become the more you can hear.

He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with
the world.
– Marcus Aurelius

Love the moment and the energy of that moment will spread
beyond all boundaries into blissful, peaceful happiness.

Nothing matters very much and few things matter at all.
– Earl Balfour

Our life is frittered away by detail . . . simplify, simplify.
– Henry David Thoreau

Seize every day as an adventure and your spirit will soar when
you discover the wonderful surprises life has to offer.

True peace is found in this moment. Acceptance is the 1st step
to inner calm.

It isn’t enough to talk about peace, one must believe it.
And it isn’t enough to to believe in it, one must work for it.
– Eleanor Roosevelt

The poor long for riches, the rich long for heaven, but the
wise long for a state of tranquility.
– Swami Rama

There is no greatness where there is not simplicity.
– Leo Tolstoy

Don’t fill your time with worry – fix what you can and let the
rest take care of itself.

Those who are at war with others are not at peace with
themselves.
– William Hazlett

In acceptance, there is peace.

Satisfaction can be found in the simplest tasks.

Make the most of every moment.

Honor the past.
Live in the present.
Create the future.

The thief of the past and the thief of the future, rob us of the joy
of the peace of the present moment.

Peace of mind is attained not by ignoring problems, but by
solving them.
– Raymond Hull

Relaxation comes from letting go of tense thoughts.
– Frances Wilshire

There is time for everything. – Thomas Edison

The past is history. The future is a mystery and this moment is
a gift. That is why this moment is called “the present”.

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today
of its strength.
– Corrie Ten Boom

Wherever we are, what we hear is mostly noise. When we ignore
it, it disturbs us. When we listen to it, we find it fascinating.
– John Cage

A soft voice is the sound of peace.

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