It is that time of the year again! Resolutions: promises to ourselves or our loved ones to change for the better, to achieve more, to do more with our lives, etc.

We all have a room for improvement: do less of things that don’t matter and do more of those things that can have the greatest impact on our personal life, on our career, our relationship, health, and many other areas of life that determine where we will be in a year from now. Every one of us is given the same 1 year with 365 days, and every one of us has a different list of resolutions and dreams for this coming year.

And whatever our personal resolutions are, it has been statistically proven that only about 5% of people come to the end of the year with solid progress, having kept their word and achieving their goals.

So I thought I’d share few quotes here that motivate me to keep plugging along towards my goals all throughout the year, and not only at the beginning of it. Hope you will also find yourself among the 5% of successful people that have reached their goals this coming year.

“A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.” – Chinese proverb

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Joe Sabah

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.”  - George Sheehan

“A goal properly set is halfway achieved.” – Zig Ziglar

“Goals are dreams with deadlines.” ― Diana Scharf

“We become what we think about all day long.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“There is only one way to succeed in everything, and that is to give it everything.” – Vince Lombardi

“Dreams get you started; discipline keeps you going.” – Jim Rohn

“This one step – choosing a goal and sticking to it – changes everything.” – Scoot Reed

“A goal casually set and lightly taken is freely abandoned at the first obstacle.” – Zig Ziglar

“Your ability to concentrate single-mindedly on one thing, the most important thing, and stay at it until it is complete, is an essential prerequisite for success.” – Brian Tracy

Hope you enjoyed the New Years Resolution Quotes I have compiled here for you.

By the way, if you are like me and love reading Motivational Books, Simple Truths is running a Clearance Sale on all their books and products, so check it out.

Technorati Tags: motivational SMS, New Year, quotes, resolutions, What motivates me, Zig Ziglar quotes

With Christmas less than a week away one comes across many quotes, stories and reflections on the subject. Christmas is truly a joyful time of the year. I personally don’t agree with the commercial side of Christmas, I think it is blown out of proportion way to much. What I do love about Christmas is when everyone is more caring and more giving, in every sense of the word. Giving is the heart of Christmas, because God was the first one to give us His most precious gift – His Own and Only Son.

Merry Christmas everyone!

And here are 12 quotes that bring out the true meaning of Christmas. Enjoy the quotes and share it with your friends, colleges and even strangers. Let this season be the most joyous ever!

1. The joy of brightening our lives, bearing each other’s burdens, easing other’s loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas.–W. C. Jones
2. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.–Dale Evans Rogers
3. The Light that shines from the humble manger is strong enough to lighten our way to the end of our days.–Vita-Rays
4. The message of Christmas is that the visible material world is bound to the invisible spiritual world.–Author unknown
5. My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?–Bob Hope
6. Peace on earth will come to stay,
   When we live Christmas every day.–Helen Steiner Rice
7. The spirit of Christmas fulfills the greatest hunger of mankind.–Loring A. Schuler
8. Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.–Janice Maeditere
9. There is no ideal Christmas; only the Christmas you decide to make as a reflection of your values, desires, affections, traditions.–Bill McKibben
10. There was a gift to each of us left under the tree of life 2000 years ago by Him whose birthday we celebrate today. The gift was withheld from no man. Some have left the packages unclaimed. Some have accepted the gift and carried it around, but have failed to remove the wrapping and look inside to discover the hidden splendor. The packages are all alike: in each is a scroll on which is written, “All that the Father hath is thine!” Take and live!–Frank S. Mead
11. It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.–Charles Dickens
12. The world is large and complex, and sometimes there seems to be no sacred ground. But in tent and palace, in adobe hut and castle, in barrack prison and under lighted trees across the lands, the language of Christmas is universal.–Marcus Bach

Technorati Tags: Christmas, Christmas giving, Christmas love, Christmas quotes, What motivates me

It is so sad to hear news such as the recent tragedy in Connecticut. And we wonder how could this have come about. There are many things we will not quite understand in this life and will wonder ‘why?’

I just wanted to share a little message of comfort from Jesus in hopes that it will put things somewhat in perspective for the sorrowing families that lost their precious little ones in this tragedy.

Jesus Speaking:

“My loves! How it saddens me when you are looking only on this temporal life and count someone gone forever when they have just opened the door to enter the Eternal Kingdom of My Father. I know it is hard to comprehend the beauties of Heaven and the great rewards I have in store for My dear children.

“It’s ok to shed those tears when you part for a while from your loved ones. But remember to keep your eyes on Heaven, on that day when all of us will be united in My Kingdom, where there will be no more pain and sorrow. I am here to wipe away your tears now, as you say goodbye to the earthly body of your dear children. But if you could only see how happy they are, how they radiate in My presence, and glow in their new heavenly bodies, you would cry tears of joy, not sadness. They are free from pain, free forever from this earthly body that is subject to pain and aging, and they are not too far away from you. There is just a thin veil between your earthly plain and the Heavenly one. It is just a whisper away.

“Isn’t it a comfort to know that for those that love Me, this is just a mere “until we meet again!” And meet again we will, on that day of My return, what a party we will have then!”

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• Connecticut Shooting: How Do We Respond?

Technorati Tags: comfort, death, Heaven, message from Jesus

Where does inspiration come from? The kind of inspiration that moves you to great action! Do people just get inspired with great ideas and foresee themselves becoming the next Mother Teresa? There are countless ‘great’ people that we look up to today that began their journey with just a small idea, perhaps with an idea with a great potential. Many times they were moved to take action in a response to a need. And in the case of this particular story, it started with somewhat a silly idea that was not planned to influence anyone for any good. It was just that – a little personal quest to grow a mustache for a month.

Wow, now that’s not something I would consider a world changing idea. And sure enough, Adam Garone and his three crazy friends were met with quite a bit of opposition both from family and colleagues.

Well, I just watched this TED show where Adam shared his journey from growing a mustache as a dare to a Prostate Cancer awareness movement “Movember”, and I must say it was very motivating and inspiring. It really doesn’t matter how the movement started, what matters is that someone took their little idea, their personal quest to a next level, and decided to make an impact on the world in a greater way.

Was it easy? You bet it wasn’t! Did Adam Garone get a lot of support from day one? No way! It was anything but smooth sailing, it was a lot of hard work to make this idea work and to gain the support. It sure took a lot of courage and commitment on his part to continue going even when there were no significant results. Persistence, patience, & taking smart risks are the secret ingredients that made the “Movember” a worldwide movement that raised $126 million for prostate cancer research last year.

And that’s exactly what we need to practice, if we want to make a difference in the world around us. We might not be on the journey of setting up a worldwide Prostate Cancer Awareness movement, yet still what we do or don’t do matters. Each one of us has an influence, and it is up to us what that that influence would be. It takes more effort to be a positive influence, it sure takes more from us to give love instead of just waiting for someone else to come along and show us love. It does take that inner strength to respond to the need, however small it might be, to get out of our comfort zone, to take that extra step to extend the hand to a needy one. We have millions of excuses not to stop & not to answer the cry we hear: we are busy, we are on our way somewhere, we will be late for the appointment, and what have you. Many times these are all legitimate excuses. That’s why it might be a sacrifice. Giving is always a sacrifice in some way, small or big, but then the rewards are so great too. The bigger is our gift, the greater the fulfillment and satisfaction we feel.

Most likely we don’t even have to go far looking for a needy situation, it’s all around us. It could very well be even within our own family. But what it takes is opening our eyes and learning to see the need in order to respond to it. It all depends on what we are taught to ‘hear’. This little story illustrates the point so well:

“A naturalist walking with his friend through the busy streets of a great city, stopped suddenly, and asked: “Do you hear a cricket?”

“Of course not,” laughed his friend. “You could never hear a cricket with all this roar of traffic.”

“But I hear a cricket,” persisted the naturalist, and, turning over a stone, he uncovered the insect.

“Did you actually hear that cricket chirping above the noise of the street?” asked his friend in astonishment.

“Certainly,” said the naturalist. “I spend my time listening to nature, whether I am in the forest, the field, or the town. Everyone hears that for which he is listening.”

Taking a coin from his pocket, he dropped it on the pavement, and each passer-by put his hand in his pocket to see if he was the one who had dropped it.

For what are you listening?”

It does take a little bit more effort to see beyond our own little circle, but is possible and is rewarding.

As Adam Garone said: “Four man can go on and inspire a city, that city can go on and inspire a state, that state can go on and inspire a nation, beyond that you can create a movement that can change the face of the earth…”

Are you sitting on some world-changing ideas? Will you make a decision to be a positive force for good today?

Share your stories of ‘changing the world one heart at a time’ here with us. Looking forward to your comments.

Here is a video I mentioned above: Adam Garone: Healthier men, one moustache at a time

Technorati Tags: 'Movember', Adam Garone, motivational reading, patience, persistence, risk-taking, success

Motivation gets you started

What motivates me to get off my butt and start exercising is a really good aerobics program with fun and lively music that just compels me to get moving. I have a hard time following boring routines when time seems to stretch too long. But lively music and enjoyable dance moves in a work-out video make such a difference, and make it so much easier to be good and take care of my body.

It is so true that what motivates most people is the seeking of pleasure and avoidance of pain. That’s exactly what it is for me. Avoid the pain and the built-up stress in my back, neck and shoulders from sitting at a desk too long (with a wrong posture, most likely) & enjoy the wonderful results that exercise brings. All of a sudden I feel compelled to write this little post because my body has just shot up a dose of endorphins as a result of a fun aerobics program with lively dance routine and music. Ah, life is good!

It does take the initial effort and discipline to just make it happen. I might be a lazy person when it comes to exercising. But when I look forward to the results of good health, strong body, toned muscles, no aches – that is a strong enough motivator for me to take a break from work and keep my priorities strait. It is not easy to take the action, but who said discipline was easy? So this is when the scheduling my week in advance and making time slots for exercise comes in handy. Once I have made a decision & scheduled it, it is somehow easier to follow the plan.

Here are five motivational quotes to keep the inspiration for living a healthy lifestyle:

Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness. – Edward Smith-Stanley

A healthy body is a guest-chamber for the soul; a sick body is a prison. – Francis Bacon

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.  – World Health Organization, 1948

Just do it.™ – Nike

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. – Jim Ryan

And below are some of the exercise videos that make it easy for me to follow through on my commitments.

• Core Rhythm Full Workout

• The firm aerobic workout series.

Please feel free to share your thoughts about the motivational factors that keep you going with exercise commitments or any other commitments in life.

Technorati Tags: exercise, health, motivational quotes, motivational SMS, What motivates me

By Peter

Chinese have a saying: “Do by not doing!”  - Getting something accomplished by letting the life run its natural course. For example a tree is growing, doing something, but not really doing, the growing just happens naturally.

On the other hand we know that we must work to be able to earn our bread!  One must use wisdom in applying this saying. Like the wise man Solomon said: “There is time for everything under the Sun. A time to rend and time to sew; a time to keep silence, a time to speak”. – Time for action and time for no action. Time to keep silence is golden as well as the time to speak the right thing at the right moment.

The wisdom is found in doing the right thing at the right time! For most of us, it’s easy to keep running somewhere, doing something, worrying about something so that we forget the other side of the coin: waiting patiently, being silent, listening and letting God’s spirit move things for us! Practicing physical inaction through waiting on God, praying and believing on Him that He will take the action for us!

My question for you today is: What you should be doing right now? Is it time to push and work, or is it the time to stop from running, and instead look and listen. Just take that moment of rest and let life take it’s natural course. You might find that the world will not fall apart, but instead God will take care of your business better than you ever were able. Once you have regained that right perspective, found what is right for you, may God’s blessings, His strength follow you throughout the day!

Technorati Tags: balance in life, motivational reading, relaxing, resting

I was reading an article about the puzzles of life today, & thought I should write up my own ‘puzzle-story’.

As a gift to ourselves for our first Christmas in Taiwan we have purchased a beautiful puzzle with Chinese art.

We had a lot of fun putting it together with my husband as well as with some help from few friends here and there. It took a long while, more than a year, but we had enjoyed the process. And finally we had the whole picture ready to be put up. Just one last touch of gluing it to a board and framing it was to be done.

It so happened that around that time we were moving to a new mission center, and carefully placed the board with finished (but not yet glued) puzzle on top of all other belongings in the back of the van, on the final trip to our new place. It was rather late, it was dark, and we were tired …

I forgot we had the puzzle right on top of everything & without thinking much opened the back door of the van just to see the whole puzzle slowly slide down to the ground. Fortunately we were able to catch most of it, but about a third of it ended up all over the place. Because it was dark we were not able to collect all the pieces, and for weeks to come we were still finding chunks of it in all kinds of places and people were bringing some lost ones back.

So I went back to complete the puzzle once more, whenever I had time. Few friends helped again, but my husband didn’t have much heart for it this time, thinking ‘surely there will be some pieces missing, and we cannot hang an incomplete puzzle on the wall’.

But you know what, not a single piece of the puzzle was missing!

Around the same time our marriage was really on the rocks, much like that puzzle with pieces shattered all over the place. At that time our communications seemed irreparable, we could hardly find something good to say to each other. We would go on a walk and try to ‘work on our marriage’ and say something positive and uplifting to each other to try to rebuild what has been broken, and it all sounded so fake, and was so hard to ‘fake it till you make it’.

Just like fixing the puzzle, it was a long way to go, before we could see the perfect picture again. And when there are some really deep hurts and the trust has been broken, you think surely there must be a big piece that is missing and this picture will never be perfect again.

But our salvaged Chinese art puzzle is still on our wall as a reminder that God can mend the broken hearts and fix the puzzle of our lives, even when everything looks hopeless, & in a heap of great big mess, when sorting through it seems just beyond our human capabilities. As long as we are willing to give Him a chance, and make that commitment once again to each other before God, unity can be restored. Commitment has been that key to save our marriage, and not just make it bearable to live with each other, but to be happy together and in love once again.

Let God fix the puzzles of your life.

Technorati Tags: don't give up, God's help, marriage, motivational reading, puzzles

my most important teachers in life - dad and mum

I have probably not done enough to show my appreciation to all the teachers in my life. Where would I be if I had to learn everything on my own? If we try hard enough, and make enough mistakes, I’m sure we can learn everything there is to learn in this world. But I’m so happy to have been blessed with many teachers along my path that have made the process so much easier. There is a saying: a wise man learns from his mistakes, but the wiser learns from mistakes of others. Isn’t that what teachers do, they show us where the proven paths for success lie.

My first teacher has taught me how to read, write and do math, among many other things. But besides those essentials she was also the one to help me to transition from the comfort of my own little world of personal family to a greater society. Every one of my teachers was there to build my character, to shape my worldview, and help me become an accountable grown-up by the time I was done with my school years.

So, a great big heartfelt thank you to each and every one of my teachers!

Being a teacher’s kid myself, I know much too well what takes place ‘behind the scene’. Most students don’t even know how much after work hours go into checking the homework, preparing the classes and extra-curricular activates. And how much heartache for the ones that are not doing so well, how much tears and sweat to help each one to realize their potential – it is all but hidden from students view. And even afterwards when students graduate, each one still remain as their own child for years to come.

I’m just happy that I have grown up in a rural area where teachers were appreciated more than in some big great cities. There is a tradition in our school that students get together for the 25^th anniversary since graduation, and on those occasions they bring tokens of appreciation and presents to both of my parents, who have dedicated their whole lives to teaching.

My hope and prayers is that every teacher will receive the appreciation that he or she deserves. It means so much to them. Words of gratitude mean more to them than money. I just realized how true this was when visiting my dad for his 70^th anniversary. He went into great lengths to organize a big party with almost 100 people invited, so that he could spend an evening hearing all the good that others had to say about him & about the work he has accomplished – just to know that he mattered.

Probably not everyone will do something like that in order to hear the appreciation they deserve. But they still need to hear it. Everyone needs appreciation; everyone needs to know they matter!

Many of us can recall a teacher who inspired us to make the most of our strengths and encouraged us to overcome our weaknesses.  Show your appreciation for teachers by sharing this movie with others today!

Technorati Tags: appreciation, gratitude, teacher, What motivates me

I tend to get overwhelmed quite easily, because for some reason I seem to take on many projects; volunteer to help with this and that; and also have few of my own pet peeves I’m working on besides the regular ‘big rocks’ that make up my life. Because of that I tend to multitask a lot and have millions of windows open on my desktop and on my browser, just in case I might need this info or that. And then I get sidetracked, simply because one thing leads to another and pretty soon I’m engaged totally in something other than I had planned for the day.

How frustrating is that? Especially if you have some real deadlines you need to work on?

So I have to constantly remind myself that focus is the name of the game for me. If I want to get anywhere, then I need to pick my ‘big rock’ for this day, or maybe even just for this moment, and simply plow through. I just have to ‘eat that frog!’ as Brian Tracy advises: “If you have to eat a live frog, it does not pay to sit and look at it for a very long time!” Just eat the ugliest frog first and get over with it.

So here is what I do:

1. Ask questions: where do I start, what are the things that I absolutely have to take care of, which projects can be postponed or delegated or even left undone altogether.

2. Create my To-Do list in the order of priority

3. And then just go to work and stop worrying about the things I have decided not to take care of right this moment. Just follow my list 1-2-3… without looking at the whole things at once and trying to multitask. Just focus on one thing and get that one out of the way before I go on to the next.

I found that I will waste more time trying to multitask and take care of little things, that seem easier at the time, but not really getting the big rocks out of the way. And I will continue to be pressured because I’m not getting any closer to my goals.

So I have to commit to being focused, if I want to keep my sanity and make progress in areas that really matter today.

Related articles

• But I Don’t Want To! Secrets to Self-Motivation (wisebread.com)

Technorati Tags: getting things done, Motivation, Procrastination, Time management

Love (Photo credit: Nina Matthews Photography)

“Love is a consistent passion to give, not a meek persistent hope to receive.”- Swami Chinmayananda.

“Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning.”- Author unknown.

“Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit.” – Peter Ustinov

“To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven.” –  Karen Sunde.

“Love is like a violin. The music may stop now and then, but the strings remain forever.” – unknown

“Love is more than three words mumbled before bedtime. Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day.” – Nicholas Sparks

“Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.” – Erich Fromm

“In the final analysis, love is the only reflection of man’s worth.” – Bill Wundram, Iowa Quad Cities Times

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.- 1 John 3:16 NIV

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.  - 1 Corinthians 13:4–8a NIV

Related articles

• “Love” What is it…really? (livingwithexpectancy.wordpress.com)

Technorati Tags: motivational SMS, quotes on love