Have you ever had one of those days when everything you touch just sort of falls apart?  I think we all have.  You burn the toast, misplace the car keys, forget about an important appointment, and just can’t seem to get that much accomplished no matter how hard you try.  Fortunately, it doesn’t happen very often.  It usually happens to me when I have a really fully plate.  I’m pre-occupied with so many things, that I don’t give my full attention to the immediate task at hand.  I suppose that’s the definition of scatterbrained.  It’s like the body is present but the mind is not.

Then there are those days when every thing you do is golden.  Everything goes your way.  You just can’t lose.  You are “in the flow”.

Now I’m not talking about “going with the flow” which, in my mind, is slightly different.  When you “go with the flow” you “don’t make waves”. You just basically do what everybody else is doing and try to get along.

Being “in the flow” is that magical state when you are totally absorbed in what you’re doing.  It’s as if you’re suspended in time.  There is only you and the activity at hand.  It’s almost as if you are one.

I love it when this happens.  It happened to me last night when I was playing Tetris.  Although the game has been around for a while, I never played it until a few weeks ago.

In the game of Tetris there are colored cubes that are linked together to form various shapes.  The shapes can be rotated and each shape has a color that represents that particular shape.  The shapes drop, one at a time, from the top of the screen onto a grid-like pattern.  You use the arrow keys on your computer to turn the pieces and move them as they are falling.  If you are able to fit the pieces together with no gaps, the line gets cleared.  The object of the game is to keep clearing the lines faster than the pieces fall.

When I first started playing this game I thought it was so difficult.  Then, as learned the characteristics of each piece and how they would fit together the game got easier.  After that, I learned a few key strategies and before long, I was the Tetris Mistress!

Last night I got my highest score to date of just over 174,000.  If you’re not a Tetris player then this means nothing but it’s a fairly respectable score.  To play at that level you need much greater concentration and coordination because the pieces drop at an accelerated pace as the score climbs.  You may be wondering what all of this has to do with being “in the flow”.

After that exhilirating game, I had an epiphany.  I had been “in the flow” or “in the zone” as some would say, and I knew I was there.  The epiphany was the realization of what it takes to get there.  Here is how you can get “into the zone.”

1. Build a foundation.

Before  you can achieve mastery of getting into the zone you must first learn the necessary skills needed for the task.  Once you really develop an understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish, it will be easier to enter a state of flow.

2. Focus your attention.

To achieve getting into the flow state, you need to focus on the here and now.  Forget about the past, the future, or even the next five minutes.

Eliminate all distractions that can interfere with your concentration on the immediate task.  E-mail can be a big distraction.  Check any e-mails or messages and then be done with it until after you complete your task.

3. Relax.

Now that you’ve built a foundation and you’ve directed your laserlike focus on the immediate task, it’s time to relax.  Relax.

4. Just do it.

With the first three steps in place, now you can just do what needs to be done.  Don’t overthink it.  Just do it. Feel it.

5.  Become one with the task at hand.

This step is an extension of #4.  Once you just do it and try not to think too hard about doing it, you can just be.  It’s almost as if you become one with the task.

6. Lose all sense of time.

By now, you should have entered into that magical state of flow.  You are completely immersed and have lost all sense of time.  It is during this state that everything feels almost effortless.

When you achieve the state of flow you are tapping into your vast ocean of resources and nothing is impeding the process.  It’s as if you’re simply allowing it to happen rather than trying to make it happen.  You’re like water and there is no friction, only flow.

If you want to live a more positive and joyful life, then try to be more like a child. Children are perhaps the greatest teachers of positive thinking. Children are the ultimate positive thinkers. They always look at the reasons why something can be done rather than why it cannot. They have not learned to anticipate life’s obstacles and challenges. Children see life as one big adventure. Maybe we would all benefit by adopting this type of attitude.

Have you ever noticed how children seem to be fearless? They will try anything once. They love life and are optimistic and happy. Children love to explore and learn about what the world has to offer.

Do you remember when you were a child and you experienced something for the first time? I sure do. It was so exciting! I remember the first time I saw the ocean; I was in awe and I still am.

When I was about 4 years old, I tried cheesecake for the very first time. I wasn’t sure I would like it because I just couldn’t imagine how cheese and cake would taste together. My only point of reference for cheese was from the grilled cheese sandwiches that my Mother used to make. How this could be incorporated into cake was beyond my grasp. My Mom said she thought I would like it so I was willing to give it a go. Wow! It was so delicious. Just one bite and my skepticism turned to joy!

I remember learning to tell time. It made me feel as if I had been inducted into an elite club. Possessing that new knowledge was so exciting.

I remember learning to ride my bicycle when I was about 4 ½. My parents surprised me with a bike they had seen me admiring at a department store. I was overjoyed when I discovered they had bought me that very same one.

My new bike had training wheels and it wasn’t long until I started bugging my Dad to take them off. After all, I wasn’t a baby anymore! He told me I had better be sure because he wasn’t going to put them back on. I said I was positive I wanted them gone and he promptly removed them.

It was time for my maiden voyage. My Dad ran along side me, keeping me upright as I pedaled, and then he let go. Whee! I was riding by myself. I felt free and empowered. I rode about 40 feet and then attempted to turn around in my neighbor’s driveway. This resulted in my first crash. It was no big deal. I didn’t care about a slightly bloody and scraped knee, I just wanted to get back on that bike and ride. I was fearless and from that point on the sidewalks were mine! Annhurst Road would never be the same and neither would I.

I was painfully shy as a small child, which I have more than overcome. Learning to ride my bicycle was possibly one of the first steps towards helping me to come out of my shell. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have long since abandoned the shell.

Children have this sense of wonderment. It’s how they learn and how they develop their identity.

Children use their imaginations on a regular basis. They are always coming up with new ideas and solutions. Children are naturally positive because they haven’t yet learned to focus on the negative. They spend more time navigating with their feelings. It feels better to think positively and so this is what they do.

Let yourself develop that childlike sense of wonder. Slow down and take time to enjoy life. Allow yourself to get caught up in doing more of the things you really love to do. Stop filling everyday with to do’s and always look for the positive.

Here are some ways you can experience more joy by looking at the world through the eyes of a child.

• Be curious . Explore the world. Instead of walking away from the unknown, walk towards it. Be bold and be curious. Children are always exploring. This is how they learn. Let yourself start exploring again.

• Accept a challenge . When children are challenged, they get excited and look at it as a game. Let yourself accept challenges instead of walking away.

• Make a mess. Children love to make messes. They do so because they are learning and they simply do not care if they get a little messy in the process. Happiness can sometimes be messy.

• Use Your Imagination. When you’re a child almost everything you do revolves around pretending. Imagination is a wonderful thing. Do things that stimulate your creativity.

We spend so much time and effort trying to grow up and be responsible that sometimes we lose our childlike sense of wonder.

Try to remember some of your first experiences as a child. If you have trouble remembering back that far, then do the next best thing; watch children at play. Notice how they are completely caught up in what they are doing. They live in the moment.

The next time you do something you’ve never done before, approach it with that same childlike sense of wonder. Whether it’s dining at a new restaurant, traveling to a new location, or learning something new, just let yourself be open to fully enjoy the experience by focusing on that moment and only that moment. Seek out and embrace new experiences.

When you see through the eyes of a child, the world is full of amazing possibilities. : p !

You may be wondering why on Earth I would write a post about Google Docs on a personal development blog.  I believe part of personal development should be about living a life less complicated.  As such, Google Docs is a wonderful tool.

I just recently discovered Google Docs and if you haven’t tried it yet, it’s a great place to store your documents.  You free up a ton of space on your computer’s hard drive and that’s a good thing.  Of course, I wouldn’t recommend storing top secret or private documents online but for most other documents, it’s perfect.  It’s also a great place to store documents that you want to share with others.  Instead of e-mailing attachments it’s much easier to just e-mail a link where a document can be accessed.

Check out this super cool Google Docs Video .   I wish I had discovered this sooner!  Simplicity can be a wonderful thing.

Inspirational Quotes For The Soul

I’ve always enjoyed inspirational and motivational quotes.  They can be thought provoking, funny, enlightening, and even comforting.  Although usually short, their message can speak volumes. For me, inspirational quotes are often just plain, old fashioned good advice.

"A smart man learns from his mistakes; A wise man learns from the mistakes of others".

I have no idea who said this but it’s an excellent example of the power of quotes.  We can learn from the words of others.

Here is are my Top 10 Favorite Inspirational Quotes:

1. "The world is but a canvas to the imagination."

~Henry David Thoreau

2. "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart."

~Helen Keller

3. "Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions."

~Oliver Wendell Holmes

4. "Love is not just looking at each other, it’s looking in the same direction."

~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

5. "Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."

~Buddha

6. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit."

~Aristotle

7. "Do or do not. There is no try."

~Yoda

8. "The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it."

A while back I made a post about resolutions.  For those of you who are trying to keep a resolution or a promise I found a site that can help you do just that and with a twist.  It’s called Pledgehammer.  It’s a cool name for a cool concept.

Pledgehammer is something that may be able to help to stick to decisions and resolutions. It makes resolutions easy-to-share and asks to donate money to charity if one fails to keep it. This way there is some good in failing a resolution, too. You can read more about it @ Pledgehammer .

Knock, knock.  Who’s there?  Squid.  Squid who?  SQUIDOO!

Alright, so I know that was really lame but I had to do it.  I’m just so excited about Squidoo and how much fun it is.  In case you haven’t heard of it, Squidoo is a site where you can browse or create individual web pages called lenses.  You can create a lens on practically any topic imaginable.

It’s a great place to learn and share your knowledge with others.  The cool part is that you can promote related products on your lens and even make extra money or donate it to charity.  In fact, Squidoo encourages it.  Of course, they get to keep half of what you generate but it’s still a win-win situation.

I just created my very first Squidoo lens ever titled Top 10 Ways To Make Money Online .  Head over to Squidoo and check it out or browse around or make your own lens.  Just a word of warning, it can be habit forming.  I’m already thinking about making my next lens!

In these turbulent and uncertain economic times, it is sometimes challenging to remain optimistic.  We are bombarded with unpleasant news and everywhere we turn there is evidence of recession; businesses closing, real estate values plummeting, and so forth.

I came across a quote the other day that I want to share.

"The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger – but recognize the opportunity."

~John F. Kennedy, Speech in Indianapolis, April 12, 1959
35th president of US 1961-1963 (1917 – 1963)

There will always be opportunities we simply have to remember to look for them and allow ourselves to see them.

Late last August, a tropical storm had been making it’s way to Southwest Florida over a period of several days. In preparation for the storm, my husband and I removed everything from the lanai that could possibly become a flying projectile. This meant all of the plants and lawn furniture had to b e brought inside. We put almost everything in the garage with the exception of our Ficus tree, which we placed in a corner of the dining room.

Our former neighbors, the Hunts, had given it to us prior to their move back up North. When we first got the tree, it was in a very fragile state. Dry, withered, and shriveled, it had clearly been neglected and I was doubtful that we could prevent the poor thing from dying. My husband saw it as a renovation project; one at which he was determined to succeed.

When we brought it home the first thing we did was transfer it to a larger pot with good soil and plenty of water and fertilizer. Now I don’t normally talk to my plants but I decided that it couldn’t hurt particularly with this one; it needed extra special care. So I welcomed it into our home and introduced it to the other plants. I talked to that tree everyday for about one week or so. My husband continued to water it as necessary. The tree responded well to all this attention and began to grow. We then put it outside on the lanai in a nice corner where it would receive the right amount of sunlight and not too much wind.

Although we knew it was doing quite well, we didn’t realize just how much it had grown until we brought it inside. In about two years, the tree had grown from around four feet tall to eight feet tall and it was probably three times as wide as when we first got it. The tree, once stark and sickly, had become vibrant, healthy, full of dark green, shimmering leaves and it was now sporting tendrils as well. The transformation was amazing. We also discovered that the tree had become the home to one very noisy tree frog.

After witnessing this transformation, it occurred to me we too can experience profound results in direct correlation with how we cultivate our minds, bodies, and souls.

"Men are like plants–they never grow happily unless they are well cultivated."

This 18th century quote by Charles-Louis de Secondat Montesquieu still rings true.

Our lives are like gardens, they do best when cared for. Just as gardens need rain, fertilizer, and good soil, we also need good food, water, and mental and spiritual sustenance.

What about the weeds; are you weeding your garden? The weeds are all of the excess accumulations in your life. Detoxing can eliminate unwanted junk in the intestines allowing them to absorb nutrients more efficiently. Exfoliating can eliminate dead skin cells and give you a healthy glow. Donating unwanted items can get rid of clutter in your home and provide for those in need. Releasing hostilities and forgiving others can lighten your heart; it takes work to stay mad at someone. Letting go of negativity has a cathartic effect.

Keep in mind that just like the flowers, plants, and trees in a garden, we are either growing or dying. The seeds you plant in your mind are ideas, which become beliefs once they receive support. The path of action you then choose will deliver the fruits of your beliefs.

How does your garden grow? You might ask yourself if you’ve been planting the best seeds and cultivating them so that you might blossom and achieve your highest growth potential.  I’m aiming for Sunflower status, myself!

Wanna hear a great procrastination joke?  OK, I’ll tell you tomorrow.

Yes, it’s easy to joke about procrastination but in truth, it’s no laughing matter.  When we procrastinate it may seem like a fun thing to do at the time, but all we’re really doing is hurting ourselves.  It’s like that old saying, "Procrastination is a lot like masturbation; in the end you’re just screwing yourself."  That may be a bit crude but it does make a good point.

Let’s say there’s something you really want to accomplish and you know the project will take about 20 hours to complete.  You might be tempted to think, "How am I ever going to find the time to do that?" So you keep postponing your task.

A better approach would be to simply spend an hour on your project each day.  Then, three weeks from now you will have a completed project.  You may be wondering where you will get this extra hour each day.  That’s easy, you’ll just spend less time doing unproductive things such as checking e-mail, watching TV, playing video games, talking on the phone, reading the newspaper or whatever.  Now I know if you read the paper regularly you may be wondering how you could possibly give it up.  Don’t worry, the world won’t come to an end if you skip the news for a while.  Since most of the news is depressing anyway you won’t miss a thing.  Plus, others will definitely tell you about the really important stuff.

Perhaps the biggest key to ending procrastination is just getting started.  That may sound like an oversimplification but I believe it really is that simple.  Recently, I was sick with an upper respiratory infection and I didn’t do my fitness routine for 2 weeks.  Right after that I had a guest for a week and again, I skipped my workouts.  This week I have no valid reason except that I simply haven’t got back into the habit.

Don’t let procrastination be the roadblock that keeps you from attaining everything you desire in life.  Focus on your desires and let them motivate you to take action.  Since a healthy life and a good level of fitness are things I desire, I’m going to do my workout as soon as I finish this post.  It’s time to remove another roadblock.

This is one of those great stories I received in an e-mail.  I really enjoyed it and so I thought I would share it with you.  Enjoy…

Anyone who has pets will really like this. You’ll like it even if you don’t and you may even decide you need one!

Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named ‘Lucky.’ Lucky was a real character. Whenever Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit, they would warn their friends to not leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.

Mary or Jim would go to Lucky’s toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be, amid all of Lucky’s other favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he was very particular that his toys stay in the box.

It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going to die of this disease ….in fact , she was just sure it was fatal.

She scheduled the double mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders. The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck her …what would happen to Lucky? Although the
three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary’s dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won’t understand that I didn’t want to leave him. The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.

The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little dog just drooped, was whining and was miserable.

Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so exhausted she couldn’t even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife comfortable on the couch and left her to nap. Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn’t come to her when she called. It made Mary sad but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.

When Mary woke for a second she couldn’t understand what was wrong. She couldn’t move her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his beloved mistress all his favorite things in life. He had covered her with his love.

Mary forgot about dying. Instead she and Lucky began living again, walking further and further together every day. It’s been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky? He still steals treasures and
stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.

Remember…. live every day to the fullest. Each minute is a blessing from God. And never forget…. the people who make a difference in our lives are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards They are the ones that care for us.

If you see someone without a smile today give them one of yours! Live simply. Love seriously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

It is not my intent to infringe upon anyone’s copyright and if I have inadvertently done so, please contact me and I will remove this post.  Also, the dog pictured above is not the dog "Lucky" mentioned in the story.  I thought this little dog dressed as "Captain Jack" would be a good mascot for "Lucky" since pirates love to collect treasure!