Stop Comparing..

We live in a pathologically dissatisfied world.



And Im going to tell you why.


Because we love to compare.


Go around the world and discover that people aren't happy with their


bodies. Filipinos want to be fair-complexioned like Westerners, and so buy bleaching stuff. Westerners want to own bronzed bodies like ours, and so purchase tanning lotions. Those with moles have them removed, while those who dont strategically implant beauty spots. Some people want to shed a few pounds to look like Ally McBeal, while others want to gain some baby fat to look like Drew Barrymore. When are we ever going to stop and simply be happy with how we look?


We live in a sick world, I tell you.






And that sickness is comparisonitis.






Take a look at wealth.






When we drive our old Toyota, it really suits us fine. We feel blessed


in fact when the rain pours outside and we feel snug and cozy on its faded upholstered seats. But the moment we see our own officemate (or neighbor, or buddy, or cousin, or brother) drive his sleek sky-blue, four-door, four-wheel-drive Honda Rav4, we automatically feel like


third-class children of God. Next time we drive our bumpy, noisy, rusted, dilapidated Toyota (notice how all the defects come out all of a sudden?), we feel deprived, dispossessed, pariah, debased, and only a little higher than the insects of the earth.


Listen carefully.






Bill Gates total assets are worth $60 billion. Thats more than the GNP


of some small countries. Tiger Woods earns $80 million simply by smiling on TV in a Nike shirt. And the stars of the sitcom Friends are paid $50,000 per episode!






My point? No matter how hard you work, there'l still be some people


who will be richer than you are. And there'l be some people who will be more beautiful, have more sex appeal, have more boyfriends, and have more problems.






Try it for once. Stop looking around. Don't compare!


Don't compare her nose with your nose.


Don't compare his wife with your wife.


Don't compare his salary with your salary.


Don't compare her breast size with your breast size.


Don't compare here kids report card with your kids report card.


Don't compare his prayer group with your prayer group.


Don't compare her cellulite deposits with your cellulite deposits.






For crying out loud, stop comparing and start living!


And you'll be happier with your life, I guarantee.


This is crucial: The most difficult thing in the world is to be who


you are not. Pretending and trying to be someone else is the official


pastime of the human race. (I don't think dogs and cats and cows and horses have this problem.)






And the easiest thing in the world is to be yourself.






Be happy. Live! There must be a reason why God made you tall or short


or fat or thin or bumpy all over.


Love who you are!






Bo Sanchez


The Boss

Things We Can Learn from a Dog

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Loving Our Dogs

1. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.

2. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

3. When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

4. When it's in your best interest, always practice obedience.

5. Let others know when they've invaded your territory.

6. Take naps and always stretch before rising.

7. Run, romp and play daily.

8. Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.

9. Be loyal.

10. Never pretend to be something you're not.

11. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

12. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

13. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

14. Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

15. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

16. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

17. When you are happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

18. No matter how often you are criticized, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout.

Run right back and make friends.

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I've learned!

I got stinky, I got dirty. But you see I learned! It's all over now. And that's what's important. I don't have to look back on it.

I hope that the days ahead will be beautiful and wonderful. I hope that I will be able to find the love that is right for me.

I have to love and respect myself more. I will not allow anyone to look down on me and insult me. I am a child of God. And my worth is big. I forgive all the people who have hurt me. I'm beginning a new chapter of my life. God is good all the time!

Men are from Mars...

Today, a friend of mine came up to me. She needs me badly. She was crying uncontrollably. Her boyfriend of eight years broke up with her without reason at all. Imagine how long they've been together? And just like that he broke up with her? She was left hanging. All along she thought that everything was fine. Then he just dropped the bomb. He does not want to have the relationship anymore. He does not feel that he loves her anymore. I am just wondering what is love right now. For me, I think love is more than a feeling. Sometimes you don't feel it but still you keep the relationship because you want it. It is a decision you do everyday. To stay in the relationship and the love will just flows back in.

I just wondered why guys are like that? When they decided to end up a relationship they just do it that fast. Are they thinking about their actions? Are they that insensitive? She was told that he needed space. What's that? An excuse of breaking up? Did he not think of all the years they've been together? She was there on his lowest points and now that he is up, he gradually changes his mind?

I don't really know what's happening between the two of them. But still, it's a shocking news. Sometimes, boys are hard to understand. They sometimes think of themselves more. They just do whatever they want to do. That is why we women should not rely on them one hundred percent. We should still be independent and can stand on our own. We should not stop and give up our dreams for them because they could ruin our lives just like that. They could turn around and leave us behind.

Still, don't get me wrong. I still believe in love and happy ever after. I guess that if you are not meant to be, these things happen. It is just unfair sometimes. But life is like that. There are reasons behind all of these. We may not understand it now but the time will come that all our questions will be answered. We just have to keep on going and believe that someday the right love will finally come our way.

To my friend, I will be here. I will accompany you on these dark days of your life. Cheer up!

New Life!

My friend just gave birth to a healthy baby girl yesterday. She gave birth earlier than she expected. It is her first child. She gave birth via normal delivery. Wow!

Time really flies so fast. We were only chatting a few days before she gave birth. We were talking about her plans. Her new role in life. She herself can't believe her fate. Her pregnancy happened so fast. I think that it was really meant to be.

We visited her yesterday. Her baby is adorable. So cute and tiny. So fragile. I'm happy for my friend. I wish her the best. Congrats to her newborn baby.

Life is full of surprises!

Many things happened today. I thought today is just like yesterday. A routine. But everyday is really a brand new day - full of surprises! I was really surprise a kid at work gave me flowers. They we're celebrating teachers day. But I'm not part of it since I'm not a teacher. So, I was really surprise when the kid went to my office and gave me flowers. He was a sweet boy. I was really touched. I really love receiving flowers. It makes me feel that I am special. I also received a chocolate from my co-worker. Wow!

Another surprise today is my brand new watch I've received when I got home. I was really surprised about it. It was a giveaway from my credit card bank. Wow! It is really something I did not expect. Maybe I am a good payer that is why they gave me a gift. he he Still, I'm so thankful! It is a beautiful watch. I really like it.

I am so happy. Today is a great day! Hoping tomorrow would also be great! God Bless everyone! =)

Love Month!

It's February once again. It's the L-O-V-E month. Valentines day is fast approaching. Love will surely be on the air.

I don't have any plans yet for that day. I think I will just spend it with my family. I don't have someone special to spend it with anyway. But it's okay. I am more than happy now. There are times that I feel lonely and sad but I can get over it. I feel like I'm free now coming from a cage that I put myself in. It's good to be free. It is so refreshing. No words can express my feelings. No regrets!

Still, I'm into Love. Love is the greatest thing of all. We should share our love not only to our significant other but also to our family and friends whose love for us is more constant. Happy Love month everyone! Cheers! Love love love... =)

Life is like a box of chocolates..

Life is like a box of chocolates, you'll never know what you will get. Oh well, life is unpredictable. You'll never know what tomorrow brings. We just have to trust in the Lord that everything will fall into place according to His grand plan. I surrender my worries and fears to Him. Thy will be done.

My country, Philippines, is currently in a state of calamity due to typhoon Ondoy. It happened so fast and brought so much pain to the victims. I am calling everyone to pray for my countrymen who are affected to this calamity that they will surpass this trial. Let's pray together that everything will be okay once again.

During this time of trials you can see the kindness of each and everyone who extended their help to the victims. God bless you all!

Panic attack!

You know the feeling that after you hope on someone or something in your life and then it will dawn into you that it would never happen anymore? And you don't have anything left for you? It happened to me. And I panic! I have to do something and move fast. It is really a strange feeling. I have to get over this fast. It's killing me. It frustrates me. It depresses me. I felt so sad and alone.

I'm so tired. Sometimes, life doesn't happen the way we plan. I'll just surrender everything to God. He is in control. He has a good plan for me. I just let go and let God. Only God knows what will happen to me in the future. I'm scared but i just don't have to think about it too much.

That's it for now. I have to keep on moving.

10 Life Lessons from Cartoon Characters

By Paul Asay

Smash! Blam! Kablooie!

For some of us of a certain age, those were the soul-soothing sounds of Saturday mornings. We'd snuggle up in our footie PJs and with our chocolate-frosted sugary cereal, turn on the telly, and watch hours of delicious, nutrient-free television. Was this stuff good for us? Sure – just the same way our sugary cereals were "part of this balanced breakfast." Our cartoons – and the syndicated weekday animated fare that followed – were as tasty as a spoonful of saccharine, and just as nutrition-free.

Or so it seemed. Looking back, it turns out we learned quite a few valuable lessons from some of our favorite cartoon characters while glued to the tube.

Pour yourself another bowl of cereal, press the arrow key, and take a walk down Memory Lane with us.

The first life lesson is…

Help Those in Distress - Dudley Do-Right

A regular contributor to the long-lived "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show," Dudley Do-Right was as good a do-gooder as ever did a good deed. Outrageously thoughtful, polite, brave, and stupid, the Canadian Mountie rarely rode through an episode without rescuing his beloved Nell from an oncoming railroad train. Or a huge radial saw. Or perhaps from a subprime mortgage scam.

While he may have lived in northern Canada, the chin-clefted, overgrown Boy Scout was perhaps a little too good to be exactly cool. But we can't argue with his sense of right and wrong—and we'd sure rather emulate him than the mustachioed, green-tinged Snidely Whiplash. We only wish Dudley could've wrapped the evildoer in a wad of aluminum wrapping. Then Snidely would really be foiled again.

You Can Be Quiet and Confident - The Pink Panther

The Pink Panther never said much during his animated "The Pink Panther Show." In fact, he never said anything. Never mind the fact that he might, in any given episode, be assaulted by large-nosed neighbors, supercilious narrators, or out-of-control power tools. Nothing ever rattled The Pink One enough to make him squeal. Or, at least, squeal intelligibly.

For the quieter lads and lasses—the children who never raised their hands in class, never were picked first for kickball, and sometimes wore mismatched socks to school—the cartoon Panther may have been an inspiration. Here was a character who always wore pink but never had his manhood questioned. Here was someone who, no matter how many times he tripped over his own tail, survived to see another Saturday morning. Here was someone who never had to say anything to be the coolest cat on the dial.

Respect Your Elders - The Smurfs

Smurf Village is loaded with scads of colorful (i.e. blue) characters: There's Brainy Smurf, who never met a slide rule he didn't like. There's Jokey Smurf, who loves to hand out firecrackers. There's Handy Smurf and Grouchy Smurf and Poet Smurf and scads of other smurfs who represent every personality or professional trait you can imagine. Surely, if the "The Smurfs" were remade today, we'd hear about Blogger Smurf—though we'd never see him because he'd never leave his little Smurf house.

But the only one who seemed to know what he was doing most of the time was Papa Smurf, the bearded, red-hatted patriarch of the whole Smurfin' clan. Whenever something would go awry—as it often did—we could count on Papa Smurf to make everything right again— sometimes through magic, but more often through a little sage wisdom.

Women Can Do Anything - Electra Woman and Dyna Girl

Protagonists of a short-lived segment on The "Krofft Supershow" (the DC-powered duo lasted only one season), Electra Woman and Dyna Girl fought evil with lycra and technology, wielding two of the most formidable wrist-worn crime-fighting devices— called "electracomps"—ever conceived.

But, as nifty as their multifaceted electracomps were ("No! Not the Electra-Degravitate!"), the show's main claim to fame (such as it is) was its campy salute to girl-power—done at a time when most folks assumed that boys were what made the Saturday morning world go 'round. Here were two women who kicked the butt of evil as efficiently as any guy—and who, with their before-its-time Electra-Car, were carbon-neutral to boot.

TV Can Teach Morals - Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids

Back in the 1970s, a lot of parents made a stink about what a values-free wasteland Saturday morning TV was. In response, the networks tried to bring some merit to their cartoon-laden lineups. Some just threw an "educational" label onto their unchanged offerings and left it at that. Others made a valiant stab at bringing some morality to the tube—which is why, in the mid 1970s, the "Super Friends" started telling its audience how to make tie-dyed shirts.

But "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" was all about morality from the get-go—and the show didn't even need prompting from the networks. Turned out, comedian Bill Cosby's brand of moralizing was a runaway hit, and the show ran for 12 values-rich seasons, exploring everything from skipping school and cheating to violence and racism. You might say the show made hay-hay-hay.

'Knowing Is Half the Battle' - G.I. Joe

"G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" actually never aired on Saturday morning. Indeed, syndicated shows like "Joe" spelled the end of cartoon-centric Saturday morning TV as we knew it. But while the time slot was different, the vibe was still the same. These soldiers were all about teaching lessons, all right: teaching America's enemies a lesson in respect. Yo, Joe!

But for a show based on a series of action figures, "G.I. Joe" did have some redeeming qualities. After each episode, soldiers would offer a brief public service lesson for its young viewers—what to do if you get lost, what to do if your house is on fire—most of which would invariably end with the tagline, "And knowing is half the battle."

And you thought this show was all about selling toys.

Don't Trust Strangers - Scooby Doo and the Gang

Zoinks! In his decade of 1970s Saturday morning dominance, Scooby and the gang solved more mysteries on "Scooby Doo, Where Are You!" than James Rockford, Colombo, and all six Charlie's Angels combined. Of course, once they figured out the formula, it wasn't all that tough: They always knew the ghost would wind up being a guy in a rubber mask.

The tricky part was to figure out who wore the mask: Was it the creepy gardener who spoke in monosyllabic grunts? Or was it the kindly grandmother who cooked a big pot of stew for the crew? They—and we—were never quite sure until the credits rolled, which proved to telegraph a timely message for kids: Never trust strangers completely, even if they offer you a Scooby Snack.

Materialism Doesn't Pay – The Road Runner

Warner Bros.' "The Road Runner Show" cartoons were a staple on Saturday morning television in the 1970s and '80s. And while the shorts are unquestionably the most violent form of entertainment this side of the "Saw" franchise, they're among the most educational, too.

Wile E. Coyote was the show's primary professor, and he taught his young students dozens of pragmatic lessons: Don't horse around near dizzying precipices. Don't strap yourself to large explosive rockets. Don't paint false train tunnels onto the faces of cliffs. But, through his boundless trust in (and inexhaustible account with) the Acme Corporation, Mr. Coyote also offered an important, if little heeded, message: You can't catch happiness through the accumulation of "stuff," no matter how much of it you buy. Sure, sometimes it'll seem tantalizingly close…but it'll always speed away again with a "beep-beep" and tongue waggle.

Be Nice to Others - Sigmund and the Sea Monsters

It's not easy being green. Or slimy. Or burdened with a bunch of curly, useless tentacles. Just ask Sigmund, the lovable sea monster from "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters" who never seemed particularly comfortable in his own skin.

Sigmund came from a troubled home whose parents really wanted Sigmund to scare things—particularly those loathsome, pink humans. But Sigmund doesn't find humans that loathsome at all—particularly Johnny and Scott Stuart, who kindly hide Sigmund in their playhouse.

Sigmund, who was particularly abused by his brothers, Blurp and Slurp, might well have been the Saturday morning hero of younger siblings everywhere. Sigmund was an underdog everyman— albeit one with fake googly eyes.

The Importance of Teamwork – Superman and His Super Friends

He can fly. He can see through walls. He can breathe underwater, survive outer space and clean the clock of any earthbound being around. As the prime hero on Saturday morning TV, the Man of Steel threatened to turn "Super Friends" into Superman and the Superpips. I mean, is there anyone in the Hall of Justice who can even challenge this guy in a game of chess?

But Superman never got snooty with anyone on the team—even Aquaman, whose (let's face it) ability to talk with dolphins was pretty lame. Superman liked his Justice League pals, and he often needed them, too: Rarely did an episode end without someone whipping out a chunk of Kryptonite. This show taught us this simple but often forgotten truth: Better to have friends than a whole host of super powers.

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7 Ways To Recession-Proof Your Life

by Amy Fontinelle

Are you worried about how a recession might affect you? You can put your fears to rest because there are many everyday habits the average person can implement to ease the sting of a recession, or even make it so its effects aren't felt at all. In this article, we'll discuss seven ways to do just that.

No. 1: Have an Emergency Fund
If you have plenty of cash lying around in a high-interest, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)-insured account, not only will your money retain its full value in times of market turmoil, it will also be extremely liquid, giving you easy access to funds if you lose your job or are forced to take a pay cut. Also, if you have your own cash, it won't be an issue if other sources of backup funds dry up, such as a home equity line of credit.

No. 2: Always Live Within Your Means
If you make it a habit to live within your means each and every day, you are less likely to go into consumer debt when gas or food prices go up and more likely to adjust your spending in other areas to compensate. Debt begets more debt when you can't pay it off right away - if you think gas prices are high, wait until you're paying 29.99% annual percentage rate (APR) on them.

To take this principle to the next level, if you have a spouse and are a two-income family, see how close you can get to living off of only one spouse's income. In good times, this tactic will allow you to save incredible amounts of money - how quickly could you pay off your mortgage or how much earlier could you retire if you had an extra $40,000 a year to save? In bad times, if one spouse gets laid off, you'll be OK because you'll already be used to living on one income. Your savings habits will stop temporarily, but your day-to-day spending can continue as normal.

No. 3: Have More Than One Source of Income
Even if you have a great full-time job, it's not a bad idea to have a source of extra income on the side, whether it's some consulting work or selling collectibles on eBay. With job security so nonexistent these days, more jobs mean more job security. If you lose one, at least you still have the other one. You may not be making as much money as you were before, but every little bit helps.

No. 4: Have a Long-Term Mindset With Investments
So what if a drop in the market brings your investments down 15%? If you don't sell, you won't lose anything. The market is cyclical, and in the long run, you'll have plenty of opportunities to sell high. In fact, if you buy when the market's down, you might thank yourself later.

That being said, as you near retirement age, you should make sure you have enough money in liquid, low-risk investments to retire on time and give the stock portion of your portfolio time to recover. Remember, you don't need all of your retirement money at 65 - just a portion of it. The market might be tanking when you're 65, but it might be headed to Pamplona by the time you're 70.

No. 5: Be Honest About Your Risk Tolerance
Yes, investing gurus say that people in certain age brackets should have their portfolios allocated a certain way, but if you can't sleep at night when your investments are down 15% for the year and the year isn't even over, you may need to change your asset allocation. Investments are supposed to provide you with a sense of financial security, not a sense of panic.

But wait - don't sell anything while the market is down, or you'll set those paper losses in stone. When market conditions improve is the time to trade in some of your stocks for bonds, or trade in some of your risky small-cap stocks for less volatile blue-chip stocks. If you have extra cash available and want to adjust your asset allocation while the market is down, however, you may be able to profit from infusing money into temporarily low-priced stocks with long-term value.

The biggest risk is that overestimating your risk tolerance will cause you to make poor investment decisions. Even if you're at an age where you're "supposed to" have 80% in stocks and 20% in bonds, you'll never see the returns that investment advisors intend if you sell when the market is down. These asset allocation suggestions are meant for people who can hang on for the ride.

No. 6: Diversify Your Investments
If you don't have all of your money in one place, your paper losses should be mitigated, making it less difficult emotionally to ride out the dips in the market. If you own a home and have a savings account, you've already got a start: you have some money in real estate and some money in cash. In particular, try to build a portfolio of investment pairs that aren't strongly correlated, meaning that when one is up, the other is down, and vice versa (like stocks and bonds).

No. 7: Keep Your Credit Score High
When credit markets tighten, if anyone is going to get approved for a mortgage, credit card or other type of loan, it will be those with excellent credit. Things like paying your bills on time, keeping your oldest credit cards open, and keeping your ratio of debt to available credit low will help keep your credit score high.

Conclusion
The best part about these habits is that they won't only serve you well during times of recession - they'll serve you well no matter what's going on in the market. But if you implement these financial strategies, a recession is less likely to have a significant effect on your financial situation.

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4 Ways to Live Longer

Beyond diet and exercise, your thoughts, beliefs, and behavior can add years to your life

By Richard Laliberte

The hard science of medicine gets all the credit for staving off disease and adding on years. But practices that strengthen your inner life — your mind, mood, and sense of connection — count, too, often as much as any solution that comes from a scalpel or prescription pad. "There's good evidence that emotional, spiritual, and social factors are all important for longevity," says Gary Small, M.D., director of the Center on Aging at UCLA. Research shows that these four strategies help the most.

Let The Sunshine In

• What we know: People who have a positive outlook when they're young (measured by a personality test they took as college students) end up living longer, report two recent studies that followed participants for 30 and 40 years, respectively. Even at age 50, just feeling upbeat about getting older is linked, on average, to seven more years of life, research at Yale University has found. What's the connection? "Negative emotions like hostility and bitterness are bad for overall health and specifically for the heart," says Stephen Post, Ph.D., director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics at Stony Brook University in New York. On the upside, women with sunny dispositions enjoy better heart health — over a 10- to 13-year follow-up, they had far less arterial narrowing than more dour women, a study from the University of Pittsburgh reported.

• What you can do: Become an extrovert — join a community group, try a new activity, strike up a conversation with a stranger. Acting gregarious can make you feel more outgoing, which is linked to a more positive mood, researchers at Wake Forest University have found.

Do Good Works

• What we know: People who volunteer at two or more organizations have a 44 percent lower death rate than those who don't do any charitable work, the Buck Institute for Age Research in Novato, CA, reports. "That's comparable to exercising four times a week," Post points out. Like working out, helping others seems to boost antibodies. "We're establishing a biology of compassion involving the immune system, brain, and hormones," says Post.
• What you can do: Sign up for Big Brothers Big Sisters or any other group in which you can be a mentor. "People tend to find greater meaning in activities that pass the torch to a younger generation," says Post. Maybe because their involvement is so rewarding, 87 percent of mentors engage in at least one other volunteer activity — and reap extra health benefits — versus just 40 percent of volunteers who aren't mentors.

Say a Prayer

• What we know: Regularly stepping through the doors of a house of worship may slow your progress toward the pearly gates by seven to 14 years, a University of Texas survey showed. Partly, that's due to the fact that faith communities provide support, and religious people tend to avoid life-shortening vices like smoking or drinking excessively. But even when you factor out healthy habits, older people who attend religious services once a week are 46 percent less likely to die over six years than people who go to services less often, a study from Duke University Medical School found. Attendance is only part of the picture; it's the underlying belief system that provides comfort and improves health, says Duke researcher Harold G. Koenig, M.D.
• What you can do: Bolster public worship with private spiritual practices like meditation and prayer. "The combination of the two is linked to the best outcomes," says Dr. Koenig. Even if you harbor doubts, join a congregation: The spiritual wisdom you'll gain may change your outlook — and boost your health.

Socialize (Selectively)

• What we know The landmark MacArthur Study of Successful Aging established that people with strong social connections enjoy better health. Other studies have since shown that this translates into longer life. But having good relationships matters more than seeing friends or relatives often. "The support of solid relationships boosts immune function," says Dr. Small. Marriage may be the most important relationship: Studies consistently find that married people live longer — about four years more for women, 10 for men, say researchers from the University of Chicago.

What you can do: Confide in your spouse. In research from Columbia and Yale, elderly women who'd had children and who named their husbands as their primary confidant reduced their risk of dying over the next six years. What's more, men lived longer (continuing to provide that life-extending support) when they felt their wives needed them.

Keep Your Brain Young

The glut of information on the Internet can seem mind-numbing, but the stimulation you get from wading through it exercises your brain, which may keep it more youthful. UCLA scientists who connected older Web surfers (all were 55 and up) to a brain-scanning MRI machine found that searching the Internet, like reading a book, stimulates areas of the brain responsible for language, memory, visual ability, and comprehension. But clicking through online sites goes a step further, triggering parts of the brain that handle decision-making and complex reasoning as well. And the more you do, the greater the benefit: Experienced Web surfers had twice as much brain activity as novices.

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7 Ways to Discover Joy

Find More Joy in Life

Many of us reach a point when our lives become routine, dull, and thankless. We lose our sense of meaning and direction. There seems to be a lack of purpose and feelings of hopelessness permeate our very being. We do reach a time when we are tired of being emotionally constipated and seek out ways to break this numbing cycle. The time has come to venture into something new.

Listen to Music

Select songs that will make you happy or if you haven't cried for a long time, select songs that will induce sadness. The release of tears will help you let go of what ever is keeping you stuck.

Follow Your Dream

If you have had a long term dream of writing a book, opening a store, moving to the country or running for political office, now is the time to pursue that dream instead of merely fantasizing about it.

Let Go of Grief

You may have been deeply hurt during your childhood. One of your parents may have died abruptly or you may have been abused. If you are having difficulty forming and keeping relationships and if you have had a loss or traumatic event years ago and it seems like it happened yesterday, you may be suffering from stuck grief. Seeking out a psychotherapist or an appropriate self-help group may be very helpful.

Change Your Job

If you have been working at the same job for a long time, perhaps it is time for a change. It is difficult sometimes to know when you have outgrown your current position and you stay because it is familiar and secure. However, the lack of new challenges is deadly for your personal growth and creativity. It may be time to move on.

Celebrate Your Positive Changes

We tend to focus on the negative aspects of our being and the positive parts of us tend to be overlooked or ignored. Tune in to the positive changes you may have recently made such as: "I used to be so reactive and now I am able to stop and think before I blurt out something that will be hurtful." "I can now walk for three miles without getting exhausted."

Give to Your Community

Volunteering to help those less fortunate than you will not only be appreciated by many, it will also reward you spiritually and allow you to connect with others who are helping and receiving assistance. This activity will move you out of the intellectual realm and into your emotional world.

Decide to Break Your Addiction

Whether you are addicted to substances, another person, video games or anything else, getting assistance and eventually breaking your addiction will eventually make you a happier, more productive person.

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