What Scares You? 101 Quotes to Overcome It

By Deanna Ritchie | Business Tips | No Comments

There is no doubt that fear is one of the most powerful emotions our minds can conjure up. As a result, you may have difficulty thinking, or your voice may quiver while speaking. In addition, when its grip is tight enough, it may even make you feel immobile.

In its simplest form, fear is helpful. This is your body’s way of alerting you that something is wrong. In our minds, physical dangers (such as a bear chasing us) are mistaken for social dangers (such as hosting a meeting).

Embrace your physical dangers; they’ll help you survive. There’s no question about it: if a bear is staring you down for its next meal, you better be scared.

Fear can, however, be crippling as well. By not seizing opportunities, avoiding experiences, and failing to grow as a person, we are preventing ourselves from becoming stronger, better people.

One of the most important steps toward personal and professional development is overcoming our fears, whether they are fears of the unknown, failures, or successes.

These quotes about fear can give you strength. You can use them to conquer your fears and overcome them.

1. “What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” — Vincent van Gogh

2. ”If you want to conquer fear, don’t sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” — Dale Carnegie

3. “Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.” — Helen Keller

4. “Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.” — Bertrand Russell

5. “Fear is 100% dependent on you for its survival.” — Steve Maraboli

6. “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

7. “Do not be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” — John Rockefeller

8. “Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem to be more afraid of life than death.” — James F. Byrnes

9. “Fear is only as deep as the mind allows.” — Japanese Proverb

10. “Don’t let fear or insecurity stop you from trying new things. Believe in yourself. Do what you love. And most importantly, be kind to others, even if you don’t like them.” — Stacy London

11. “Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.” — Benjamin Franklin

12. “Of all the liars in the world, sometimes the worst are our own fears.” — Rudyard Kipling

13. “He who has overcome his fears will truly be free.” — Aristotle

14. “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” — Nelson Mandela

15. “Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.” — Judy Blume

16. “Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will.” — James Stephens

17. “Take risks: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise.” — Anonymous

18. ”We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

19. “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” — Jack Canfield

20. “Ignorance is the parent of fear.” — Herman Melville

21. “To overcome a fear, here’s all you have to do: realize the fear is there, and do the action you fear anyway.” — Peter McWilliams

22. “You always have two choices: your commitment versus your fear.” — Sammy Davis, Jr.

23. “Failure doesn’t mean you are a failure; it just means you haven’t succeeded yet.” — Robert H. Schuller

24. “Laughter is poison to fear.” — George R.R. Martin

25. “Fear is the enemy of logic.” — Frank Sinatra

26. ”As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it.” — Chanakya

27. “Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.” — Zig Ziglar

28. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt

29. “Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.” — Steve Jobs

30. “Nothing in life is to be feared; it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more so that we may fear less.” — Marie Curie

31. “Fear has its use, but cowardice has none.” — Gandhi

32. “If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.” — Marcus Aurelius

33. “No passion so effectually robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear.” — Edmund Burke

34. “If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.” — Sun Tzu

35. “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” — Yoda

36. “Fear is the lengthened shadow of ignorance.” — Arnold Glasow

37. “Do the thing you fear most, and the death of fear is certain.” — Mark Twain

38. “The eagle has no fear of adversity. We need to be like the eagle and have a fearless spirit of a conqueror!” — Joyce Meyer

39. “Fears are nothing more than a state of mind.” — Napoleon Hill

40. “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” — Anais Nin

41. “Don’t fear failure so much that you refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.” — Louis E. Boone

42. “Living with fear stops us from taking risks, and if you don’t go out on the branch, you’re never going to get the best fruit.” — Sarah Parish

43. “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” — Susan Jeffers

44. “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.”– Rosa Parks

45. “Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.” — H. Jackson Browne

46. “Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.” — Jim Morrison

47. “Have no fear of perfection. You’ll never reach it.” — Salvador Dali

48. “If you’re not willing to risk, you cannot grow. If you cannot grow, you cannot be your best. If you cannot be your best, you cannot be happy. If you cannot be happy, what else is there?” — Les Brown

49. “Fear not, we are of the nature of the lion and cannot descend to the destruction of mice and such small beasts.” — Elizabeth I

50. “He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

51. “Keep your fears to yourself but share your courage with others.” — Robert Louis Stevenson

52. “Where fear is present, wisdom cannot be.” — Lacantius

53. “Being brave isn’t the absence of fear. Being brave is having that fear but finding a way through it.” — Bear Grylls

54. “I failed my way to success.” — Thomas Edison

55. “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” — Joseph Campbell

56. “Fear is the most subtle and destructive of all human diseases.” — Dr. Smiley Blanton

57. ”How very little can be done under the spirit of fear.” — Florence Nightingale

58. “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” — Theodore Roosevelt

59. “There are times when fear is good. It must keep its watchful place at the heart’s controls.” — Aeschylus

60. “Worry gives a small thing a big shadow.” — Swedish Proverb

61. “I say I am stronger than fear.”– Malala Yousafzai

62. “My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” — Abraham Lincoln

63. “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” — Plato

64. “Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That is near insanity. Do not misunderstand me danger is very real, but fear is a choice.” — Cypher Raige (Will Smith from the film After Earth)

65. “Limits, like fear, are often an illusion.” — Michael Jordan

66. “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” —Babe Ruth

67. “The best way out is always through.”– Robert Frost

68. “Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed.” — Michael Pritchard

69. ”If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?” — Confucius

70. “No man is a failure who is enjoying life.” — William Feather

71. “Obstacles are like wild animals. They are cowards but they will bluff you if they can. If they see you are afraid of them… they are liable to spring upon you; but if you look them squarely in the eye, they will slink out of sight.”– Orison Swett Marden

72. “The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.” — John C. Maxwell

73. “Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” — Francis Chan

74. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill

75. “Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic.” — Anonymous

76. “Fears are educated into us, and can, if we wish, be educated out.” — Karl Augustus Menninger

77. ”Don’t fear, just live right.” — Neal A. Maxwell

78. “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one.” — Elbert Hubbard

79. “Fear has a large shadow, but he himself is small.” — Ruth Gendler

80. “Fear is a habit; so is self-pity, defeat, anxiety, despair, hopelessness and resignation. You can eliminate all of these negative habits with two simple resolves: I can. I will.” — Anonymous

81. ”Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” — Andre Gide

82. “There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance…Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.” — John Lennon

83. “Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time to figure out whether you like it or not.” — Virgil Thomson

84. “The thing you fear most has no power. Your fear of it is what has the power. Facing the truth really will set you free.” — Oprah Winfrey

85. ”Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.” — Dorothy Thompson

86. “There is no illusion greater than fear.” — Lao Tzu

87. “Anything I’ve ever done that ultimately was worthwhile… initially scared me to death.”– Betty Bender

88. “Listen to what you know instead of what you fear.” — Richard Bach

89. “It’s OKAY to be scared. Being scared means you’re about to do something really, really brave.” — Mandy Hale

90. “Thinking will not overcome fear, but action will.” — W. Clement Stone

91. “We are taught to understand, correctly, that courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity for action despite our fears.” — John McCain

92. “Ultimately, we know deeply that the other side of every fear is freedom.” — Marilyn Ferguson

93. “To fear is one thing. To let fear grab you by the tail and swing you around is another.” — Katherine Paterson

94. “We are held back by fears, not limitations.” — Anonymous

95. “I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and while our soldiers can stand and fight, I can stand and feed and nurse them.” — Clara Barton

96. “When you are afraid, do the thing you are afraid of, and soon you will lose your fear of it.” — Norman Vincent Peale

97. “To escape fear, you have to go through it, not around.” — Richard Norton

98. “True success is overcoming the fear of being unsuccessful.” — Paul Sweeney

99. “Great work is done by people who are not afraid to be great.” — Fernando Flores

100. “You miss 100% of the shots you didn’t take.” — Wayne Gretzky

101. “Becoming fearless isn’t the point. That’s impossible. It’s learning how to control your fear and how to be free from it.” — Veronica Roth

What Scares You? 101 Quotes to Overcome It was originally published on Calendar.com on Oct. 4, 2022, by Deanna Ritchie. Featured Image: Suzy Hazelwood; Pexels.com. Thank you!

Daily Ways to Build and Inspire Yourself and Others

By Deanna Ritchie | Business Tips | No Comments

We all have those days when we don’t feel like doing anything. ‌Mentally and physically, we are exhausted. ‌It’s tough getting out of bed in the morning.‌ And, it’s a challenge just to get out of bed, let alone seize the day.

As much as we wish we could stay in bed all day, we cannot. ‌So when you feel uninspired, you can overcome that emotional hurdle with these 20 daily techniques.

1. Don’t wait for inspiration to strike.

“Inspiration is for amateurs,” said painter and photographer Chuck Close. “The rest of us just show up and get to work.”

“If you’re sitting around trying to dream up a great art idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens,” he further explains. “But if you just get to work, something will occur to you, and something else will occur to you, and something else that you reject will push you in another direction.”

Instead of wasting your time and energy waiting to feel inspired, tap into the power of a daily routine. And this is actually something that successful creatives and entrepreneurs have long known. ‌William James, the famous psychologist, once said that habits and schedules are necessary because they “free our minds to advance to really interesting fields of action.”

While there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to scheduling your calendar, here are some tips to get you started:

Schedule time for planning. For example, every evening, create and review your schedule for tomorrow.
Jumpstart your day with a morning ritual. Some ideas would be journaling, exercising, meditating, or reading.
Time block your calendar. Establish specific times for specific tasks throughout the day.
Designate a “most important task.” Always include the one absolute task that needs to get done for the day.
Leverage the power of breaks. Breaks are needed to help you refresh and recharge.
Give names to time slots and downtime. This ensures that you use this time purposefully, like s “Tuesday a.m., break 15 min walk,”
Be flexible. Even if you’re consistent, the unexpected is always lingering around the corner. So leave blank spaces to address the unanticipated.

2. Connect to your values.

“This is the ultimate secret,” notes author and Director of Innovation at Microsoft

J.D. Meier. “If you can connect the work you do to your values, even in small ways, you can change your game.”

It’s important to J.D. Meier to learn and grow as a person — a worthy goal for all people.

“I find ways to grow my skills in any situation,” he adds. For example, he just doesn’t “call back a customer.” Instead, he aims to “win a raving fan.” He doesn’t merely “do a task.” Instead, this is a chance to “master my craft.” ‌And, it’s more than “get something done.” Rather, it’s an opportunity to “learn something new.”

3. Add your goal to your calendar.

Did you know you can boost your internal motivation by setting‌ ‌a‌ ‌target‌ ‌date? It’s true.

As‌ ‌such,‌ ‌whatever‌ ‌your goal is, schedule it. ‌If you’re working toward a goal, you might have a deadline. For example, preparing for a meeting presentation or submission date for a project.

By establishing a realistic deadline, you can add structure to‌ ‌your‌ ‌goal. Target dates also help you stay motivated. And, when added to your calendar, it lets you keep track of your progress. ‌As a result, you are always aware of how far you need‌‌ ‌‌to‌‌ ‌‌go.

Also, once you’ve established your goals, share them with someone else, such as a mentor.

You’re more motivated if you share your goal with someone higher up because just caring what they think of you makes you accountable. ‌For example, you might be more motivated to get promoted if you tell a mentor or manager than if you merely tell a friend or peer.

4. Turn off distractions.

I think this is a no-brainer. ‌However, I’m talking about turning off distractions the entire day long instead of just during certain times. When you do, you’re taking your inspiration game to a whole new level.

It’s easy to lose track of time and focus constantly being glued to our phones, the internet, and social media. ‌It does not matter if you are reading a book on the subway or listening to a podcast or playlist while exercising. As a result, I’ve found myself instinctively reaching for my phone during periods of downtime, allowing myself to scroll mindlessly on Instagram or Facebook. ‌Despite how helpful and entertaining it is to be tuned in, tuning out can leave your mind wandering for hours.

5. Create a feeling of gratitude.

You may find it hard to motivate yourself when you’re stuck in a rut. ‌Think about how you feel before trying to motivate yourself.

Motivation comes much easier when you feel appreciated for who you are.

Gratitude is the quickest way to lift your spirits. After all, it’s almost impossible to be grateful and feel depressed ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌same‌ ‌time.

Get in the habit of practicing gratitude by writing down three things you’re ‌grateful‌ ‌for. ‌From your morning coffee to your pet, or even your comfortable chair, there are many things you can appreciate.

To stay motivated, you should include this in your daily routine. Also, when your grateful for the people in your life, let them know that you appreciate them through thank you notes or social media shout outs.

6. Take advantage of others’ motivation.

There are always words or artwork from others to turn to when you need extra inspiration.

Making a playlist of songs that excite and inspire you can be a great place to start. After all, ‌music‌ ‌can‌ ‌elevate your mood and change your perspective. ‌I dare you not to get up and move when you listen to “Gonna Fly Now” from Rocky.

In addition to music, books, movies, and Ted Talks can inspire and guide you. Also, you can search for tweets with the hashtag #inspiration or discover blogs of people who have overcome adversity.

Furthermore, hundreds of motivational quotes from successful people can make you more optimistic immediately by changing your mindset.

7. Ask, “What Would Dolly Parton Do?”

It doesn’t exactly have to be Dolly. But, come on. She’s a national treasure.

Anyway,‌ ‌looking through a different lens can be powerful. ‌After all, when imagining yourself seeing the situation from the perspective of someone else.

Consider your favorite role model, but use their perspective to gain insight. ‌It’s a great way to think outside the box and to gain a fresh perspective.

For example, if you want to improve your leadership skills, ask “What would Richard Branson or Barack Obama do?”

If you’re overcoming adversity, ask “What would Oprah, Nick Vujicic, or Bethany Hamilton do?”

8. Embrace and share vulnerability.

Nowadays, we’re all about Instagram likes and Instagram followers. ‌Being perceived as anything less than perfect is a daunting prospect. ‌A dangerous facade of success can be created by the glossy social media statuses of our lives.

However, sharing defeats‌ ‌and‌ ‌admitting‌ ‌failure is‌ ‌a‌ ‌powerful‌ ‌motivator for moving forward. ‌Do not let your emotions get the best of you. Instead, work through them. ‌Afterwards, move on to something more productive.

As a result of sharing these vulnerable moments, peer relationships are also deepened. And, it might just inspire them as well.

“Vulnerability is not winning or losing,” states Brené Brown, a research professor, lecturer, author, and podcast host. “It’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.”

9. Get back to nature.

Our daily lives can be enriched by learning from nature’s lessons. ‌A hike or watching the water of a river pass by, for example, is said to calm one’s prefrontal cortex, allowing it to access other regions that might produce insights or‌ ‌new‌ ‌ideas.

The experience of being‌ ‌in‌ ‌nature‌ ‌also‌ ‌inspires‌ ‌a‌ ‌sense‌ ‌of‌ ‌awe. ‌”Expansive thinking” arises when we realize the world is much bigger than we can understand. It allows us to consider different perspectives and can result in innovative solutions.

It might be tough to do this daily. But, you could start by going on a walk with a coworker after lunch or with your family during the sunset

10. Put together a win list.

“I have exchanged my to-do list with a win list,” Ken Gosnell, CEO of Experience tells Forbes. “A win list is a list of actions and behaviors that I know will create momentum for me and my organization.”

“I focus on at least one win a day and then I record all the wins, big and small, at the end of the day, to review everything that I feel good about accomplishing that day, he adds. “Often, one win can lead to the next one and many other wins.”

You can also do this with your team. For example, kicking off a meeting with what everyone accomplished in the past week. Or, create a dedicated Slack channel where people can share their success stories.

11. Compete in a friendly way.

Try to finish a boring or routine task first with a coworker at work in a friendly competition. ‌A little gamification usually keeps things lively.

In addition, you can also add a small prize, like pizza or coffee the other person, to motivate the winner.

12. Embrace positive peer pressure.

Achieving your goals is ultimately up to you. ‌Other people, however, can motivate you in a very positive way.

It has been shown that teamwork can boost perseverance, engagement, and performance — even if you’re flying solo. What’s more, this can also keep you accountable or pus‌h you when you’re not in the zone. Depending‌ ‌on‌ ‌what you want to accomplish, this might mean a running team or joining a professional organization.

And, again, sharing your goals can strengthen your commitment to achieving them, according to another study. ‌If you have work goals, consider sharing them with your supervisor or mentor.

13. Reframe questions.

“Let’s say that you are demotivated by a problem that seems impossible to solve,” writes Scott H. Young over at Lifehack. “What you can do is invest a lot of time upfront framing the right questions.”

According to Timothy Ferriss’s Tribe of Mentors, readers should ask themselves, “How would it look if this [endeavor, goal, etc.] were easy?”

In The‌ ‌One‌ ‌Thing by Gary Keller asks, “What is one thing I can do that would make everything else less important or unnecessary?”

“Think about the problem you want to solve, and ensure you ask the right questions,” adds Young. “Also, consider if you have assumptions baked into your line of thinking.”

Asking (the right) questions is always better than assuming. ‌An inspiring solution can be found by using these methods.

14. Cut your to-do-list in half.

Our ability to achieve success is hindered by long lists. ‌These lists impede our progress instead of helping us advance. So, what’s the solution? ‌Focus on the most completing items first by cutting your to-do lists in half.

In some studies, people don’t accomplish any tasks if they have more than seven on their list. ‌Nevertheless, if you have only three items listed, there is a high likelihood of finishing them all.

15. Don’t be a critic, be a coach.

A person can either be their best coach or their‌ ‌worst‌ ‌critic. ‌It’s up to you what you choose.

Whether you beat yourself down or lift yourself up, you know best how to do it. ‌You can give constructive feedback to your inner coach, and give your inner critic a rest.

As soon as you choose to become your best coach, you will gain a fresh perspective on yourself. And, it can take your potential to levels you’ve never dreamed of.

Also, keep this in mind when sharing feedback with others. Instead of being too harsh, keep the feedback constructive.

16. Reflect on how far you’ve come.

When is the last time you paused to appreciate and refelct all you’ve accomplished? ‌It’s likely that you undervalue all your accomplishments in the face of all your growth.

Spend a few minutes daily reliving and feeling your successes, no matter how small. You could do this as a part of your morning routine. Or, even, when taking a break from work.

17. Declutter and tidy.

In the event of a messy desk, it’s impossible to inspire and motivate yourself. The same is true when you’re calendar is cluttered with useless tasks that prevent you from achieving your goals.

Now, that doesn’t mean you have to go on a daily cleaning spree. But, you could set aside 15-minutes at the end of the day to declutter and tidy your workspace. And, maybe this will inspire yourself and others to follow suit as well.

18. Do some mood-lifting.

The quality and quantity of work are both improved when a person is in a good mood. ‌Having a positive attitude every day isn’t realistic, though. ‌Mood lifts can get you going if you’re lacking in the inspiration department.

Looking for some mood-boosting ideas? ‌The following might be helpful:

Exercise
Chat with a supportive family member, friend, or college
Get outdoors and enjoy the scenery
Watch some cute animal videos or pictures
Stream funny YouTube videos
Feel empowered by adopting an alter ego, aka “The Batman Effect.”

19. Treat yourself.

“Biologically, rewards increase dopamine levels in your brain,” Elizabeth Perry for BetterUp. “Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps us feel happy and increases our memory retention, helps us sleep, and regulates our mood and appetite.” ‌When dopamine surges, specific behaviors are reinforced.

“Experiencing a rise in dopamine levels is addictive, and we physically and mentally crave that feeling again,” adds Perry. “When we’re content, we’re more productive.”

Don’t worry about getting hooked‌ ‌on‌ ‌rewards though. As you work hard, you train your mind to view it as‌ ‌a‌ ‌reward‌ ‌in‌ ‌itself.

Moreover, rewarding yourself reduces procrastination, sharpen your focus, and eliminate distractions.

But, when and how should you reward yourself? Well, you can treat yourself when you complete your to-do list for the day. If so, you can start rewarding a new book, watch a TV show, make plans with friends, or take the day off.

20. Shake up your routine.

While having a routine is key to inspiration, sometimes we get into a rut. So, occasionally mix things up.

Switch up your commute, rearrange your schedule, or work somewhere else. Experiment with different activities as well. ‌Simple changes these can make a big difference when you need inspiration.

Image Credit: Designecologist; Pexels

Daily Ways to Build and Inspire Yourself and Others was originally published on Calendar by Deanna Ritchie

10 Entrepreneurs That Will Inspire You to Define Success on Your Own Terms

By John Rampton | Knowledge Base | No Comments

Success as an entrepreneur is difficult to explain. While we immediately think of it as making a tremendous amount of wealth, success doesn’t always mean that. Rather it comes down to defining it on your own terms and directing your life to live by those principles.

Below are 10 entrepreneurs who you might not have heard of, but have achieved their own versions of success and inspire you to do the same.

To me, this list of entrepreneurs represents a number of things:

Their views of success are very different from traditional views of success.
They remove all the glitz and glamour and focus on key values and principles that have pulled them through to the other side.
They are honest about their own stories and admit when things weren’t as good or that they made mistakes.

These reasons amongst many others are why I think these are inspiring entrepreneurs.

1. Leon Ho, Founder & CEO of Lifehack

Leon is the CEO and founder of Lifehack. His story is how he went from living a typical lifestyle to running a successful business and helping people re-prioritize life and focus on what’s most important.

For years he spent his life expanding his career thinking that in order to succeed, you’d have to sacrifice certain aspects to live it. After hitting a low point from that way of thinking, he realized what’s so wrong with that logic.

He began re-prioritizing his lifestyle and is living a happier and more successful life on his own terms. He is now even sharing all his experiences and skills he has learned throughout his journey with the Full Life Framework Course.

2. Laurel Egan Kenny, Founder of Turningpoint Communications

Laurel Egan Kenny is the founder of Turningpoint Communications and attributes a lot of her success to the relationships she’s made. While there were definitely some that were bad – such as former employees using her own training material for their own purposes – there were several good ones. Those relationships pushed her business to new heights and has shaped how she approaches clients and her staff.

3. Ameet Khabra, Owner of Hopskipmedia

Ameet Khabra is the owner of Hopskipmedia. He defines success as being able to balance work and life. Many entrepreneurs devote their entire being into a business and that can sometimes backfire. Similar to Leon, before he changed, people spend so much time on one thing that other areas of their life start to slip.

Success to Ameet isn’t always about having a massive and thriving business at the cost of your own sanity. It’s all about balancing everything.

4. Andrei Vasilescu, Founder of DontPayFull

Andrei Vasilescu, founder of DontPayFull, thinks that success is defined by how many ideas you come up with that actually work or exceed expectations. While performance is relative to one person, a simple metric of determining if you’re making a profit or not is a good baseline.

Even though that’s success in essence, looking at the number of ideas that turned profit is a good measurement of whether you’re making it or not.

5. Kevin Tucker, Founder of SOLitude Lake Management

Delving more on the performance-based success, Kevin Tucker believes success comes down to looking after four things well. He is the founder of SOLitude Lake Management and attributes looking after employees, clients, community, and environment as crucial measurements of success.

By looking over those four areas well, his business has been growing over time year after year with no issues.

6. Stephen Alred Jr., Founder of KnowCap IO

According to Stephen Alred Jr., founder of KnowCap IO, success goes beyond the surface level of making enough money to stay in business. Success is defined by the quality of life too. If you’re working long hours and barely making any money, that’s not genuine success.

What’s essential is that the money you’re making is letting you afford to change your lifestyle in such a way that you can live a more ideal life.

7. Tim Brown, Founder of Hook Agency

Founder of Hook Agency, Tim Brown is one of the inspiring entrepreneurs who thinks in a similar fashion to Stephen Alred Jr – being able to do what you wish to do. While Stephen Alred Jr focused on life in general, Tim Brown’s success comes from being able to move his business in the direction he wants to.

That kind of thinking is powerful as even though the journey has ups and downs, he is still thriving thanks to being able to move his business how he wants to without much worry.

8. Sue Duris, Founder of M4 Communications

Sue Duris is the founder of M4 Communications and has built her success around customer retention. Of course, being able to retain and gain more customers will have an increase in your revenue over time.

However it’s still shocking how this concept isn’t always applied. After all, there are some businesses out there that thrive simply because they have carved out most of that market and are the only option.

When you prioritize looking after the clients you do have, success will come and Sue Duris’s company is an example of that.

9. Nate Masterson, Founder of Maple Holistics

Founder of Maple Holistics, Nate Materson has gotten a name for himself by doing what other successful entrepreneurs have done. Taking a page from Kevin Tucker, he too looked after those four key aspects. He kept an eye on himself while looking after his staff, the community, the customers, and the environment.

Even though this success story is similar to others, it goes to show that simple methods are often the answers to thriving and being successful.

10. Erin Paruszewski, Founder & CEO of Alkalign Studios

The final of the inspiring entrepreneurs is Erin Paruszewski. Her success story of Alkalign Studios is a reminder that just putting in the effort doesn’t guarantee success. When working for someone, the payoffs are very clear – exchange your time for money. But when going into business, you’re putting a lot of risk that it might not work out.

That aspect alone drove Erin to grow a business into something that she can be proud of. Behind the scenes, careful planning and taking risks that she considered worth it brought her to a business that’s made her successful.

Final Thoughts

Even though success is about making enough money to make something of it, there are different ways to get there. It’s not always big and flashy but rather success can be something more simple. And these inspiring entrepreneurs show that to us every single day.

You don’t need a million-dollar idea to kick off. Rather you need a certain mindset and have particular values you can follow through that can drive you to success.

8 Ways to Practice Positive Self-Talk

By Deanna Ritchie | Appointment | No Comments

While making a salad for lunch yesterday, I cut my finger while cutting-up a tomato. It wasn’t severe. But, it was just enough for me to proclaim how much of a moron I am.

Even though you might not be aware of this, we all engage in a little self-talk occasionally. But, what exactly is self-talk, and what role does it play in being productive? And — is your self-talk more positive or negative? Let’s start making it positive.

What is self-talk?

The simplest answer? Self-talk is your inner voice or internal monologue. And, it’s often associated with your self-worth.

Think about it. When you make a mistake, like cutting a finger, you berate yourself for being clumsy. On the flip side, when you get a promotion or beat a deadline, you verbally pat yourself on the back.

Each of these elicits a different response. Negative self-talk makes you feel lousy. Even worse, it can make you feel anxious and depressed.

More interesting, negative self-talk can cause you to lose. Researchers observed 24 tennis players during tournaments. They “found that negative self-talk was associated with losing and that players who reported believing in the utility of self-talk won more points than players who did not.”

Positive self-talk, on the other hand, makes you feel as good as James Brown. Moreover, it boosts your confidence and performance. And, it improves your health.

But, how can you silence negative self-talk and practice positive self-talk? Well, here are 8 strategies that can help.

1. Change your inner dialogue.

It might seem that negative and self-deprecating thoughts appear from nowhere. But, we’re hardwired for negativity. And, when not addressed, this negative bias can impact your behavior, relationships, and decisions.

While you can’t always control these thoughts from automatically appearing, you do have the authority over how you respond to them.

“Believing your self-doubt, worrying incessantly about things you can’t control, and ruminating on the negative will drain you of the mental strength you need to be your best,” explains psychotherapist, mental strength trainer, and best-selling author Amy Morion.

“Reframing your unhelpful thoughts, refusing to dwell on the negative, and purposefully training your brain to think differently. And, this “can help you build mental muscle” as well.

“When you choose to take control over your inner dialogue, you’ll become stronger,” adds Morin. “And the stronger you become, the more likely you are to experience kinder, more productive ways of thinking. It’s a positive cycle that you can create by purposely changing the way you think.”

Build your mental strength.

How can you make this possible? Morin lists the following 7 strategies to help you think more like a mentally strong person;

Replace BLUE thoughts the those that are true. BLUE is an acronym for “blaming myself, looking for the bad news, unhappy guessing, and exaggeratedly negative thoughts.” Whenever you notice these, “respond with a more realistic statement (or true thought).”
Change the channel. If you’re ruminating, distract yourself. For example, go for a walk or perform a household chore.
Argue the opposite. Don’t fixate only on catastrophic outcomes. Also, think about how things might go better than you thought.
Express gratitude. Regardless if it’s through a journal or taking turns at the dinner table, listing the things that you’re grateful for only takes a couple of minutes. But, it has the power to increase your happiness and change your perspective.
Be mindful. Living in the moment “reduces stress, improves psychological well-being, and enhances concentration,” writes Morin.
Ask yourself what you’d say to a trusted friend. “When you’re wrestling with a problem, it can be difficult to find a solution because your emotions affect the way you perceive the issue,” states Morin. “But, it’s much easier to give someone else advice because you’re removed from the situation.”
Embrace a little self-doubt. Use these feelings to motivate you. Think back to when you were in school studying for an exam. If you felt uneasy about a particular topic, that’s where you would dedicate more time and energy so that you felt more confident.

2. Have a failure mantra.

“Yes, mantras and affirmations can be dorky and new-agey,” writes Katherine Fusco for Success. At the same time, “when you feel overwhelmed, the set and repetitive nature of an affirmation can be a nice way to counter the equally set and repetitive nature of negative self-talk.”

That doesn’t mean you have to go full-on Stuart Smalley. However, rehearsing simple phrases like, “I learn through challenges, I am strengthened by this struggle, or even the pithy, No pain, no gain,” might be enough to do the trick.

“Make up your own, post it by your computer,” suggests Fusco. And refer “to that dorky little mantra to bust up the negative thought patterns when they rear their ugly head.” Or, you can use the following four affirmations from Deanna Ritchie In a previous Calendar post;

“I’m going make today a great day.”
“I have a lot to offer.”
“I will never give up.”
“I’m imperfect, and that’s okay.”

3. Create a “Producer’s Motto.”

Yesterday I really couldn’t get into the work zone. I wasn’t happy about it. But, I told myself, “No biggie, you’ll do this tomorrow.”

Occasional putting things off isn’t always necessarily bad. But, if it becomes a daily habit, you’re just asking for trouble. It’s stressful and could do irreversible harm to your personal and professional reputations.

The fix? Replace “Procrastinator’s Mottos.”

These are self-talks encouraging you to procrastinate, with alternatives that make you take action. These are known as “Producer’s Mottos.” And, here are some examples from Luciano Passuello over at Litemind;

Go from“I have to” to “I choose To.” “‘I have to’ is every procrastinator’s favorite expression,” writes Passuello.” It’s also the most disempowering.” Instead of saying this, go to the more empowering “I choose to.”
Finishing vs. starting. “When you focus on finishing something, you direct your attention to a vague, highly idealized future,” he explains. “Visualizing a finished project is motivating for many people, but from the point of view of who’s having a hard time starting a task, visualizing a hard-to-grasp future can be overwhelming — even depressing at times.” Rather, just getting started should be your top strategy.
Long project vs. short task. Anything you need to do can be broken down into smaller, more manageable tasks. For instance, don’t clean the house; start with the kitchen. Writing a book? Zero-in on one page.
Important project vs. imperfect step. “Perfectionism arises and only fuels procrastination even more,” adds Passuello. “The way to overcome this mental block is to simply give yourself permission to be human,” he advises. “Allow yourself to be imperfect just in this next small task.”
“It should be done by now” vs. I’ll feel terrific. “When you say you should be doing something (instead of what you’re actually doing), you focus on comparing an ideal reality with your current, ‘bad’ reality.” A better idea is to think about how awesome it will be after you’ve taken action.
Need to plow through vs. having time to play. Set boundaries on when it’s time to work and when to play. Make it a point to schedule frequent breaks and leisure time so that you can rest and recharge.

4. Avoid all-or-none thinking.

All or nothing thinking is considered a cognitive distortion. Wich, according to Toni Bernhard J.D., are errors in thinking. By engaging them, you’re evaluating “your life in extreme terms: It’s either perfect or a disaster,” explains Bernhard. “You’re either a total success or a total failure.”

“Going to one of these two extremes when evaluating your life is fertile ground for self-blame and even self-hatred,” she continues. The reason? “What you’re really doing is demanding perfection from yourself, since the only alternative you’re willing to consider is a failure, and no one is happy with that.”

To break this thinking, you first need to evoke self-compassion. No need to overthink this. It’s really just being kind to yourself as opposed to beating yourself up.

Secondly, reflect on what you’re good at. Or, think about what you’ve accomplished. No matter how big or small, you shouldn’t discount the positives.

5. Talk to yourself in the third person.

In the summer of 2010, the world anxiously waited for LeBron James to announce where he would be playing next. ESPN even had a special called, well, “The Decision.” And, while controversial, it was when James let us know that he was taking his talent to South Beach.

Here’s what was interesting, however. James used the third person when explaining his decision. Case in point, “I wanted to do what’s best for LeBron James and to do what makes LeBron James happy.”

Psychologist Ethan Kross picked-up on this. He then decided to explore James’ use of self-distancing. “What we find,” Kross told NPR, “is that a subtle linguistic shift — shifting from ‘I’ to your own name — can have really powerful self-regulatory effects.”

In other words, calling yourself by your own name can reduce anxiety. It can also make you more rational and less emotional. And, it may also encourage you to be a little kinder to yourself.

6. Look for silver linings.

Don’t confuse this with strong-arming positivity in your life. After all, research shows that forced happiness doesn’t work. Rather, this is acknowledging the negative while also seeing the good.

Known as the silver-lining theory, research from NYU found that this can heighten performance. In fact, 90% of people who participated in a study found that their negative traits are actually disguised strengths. These include;

You’re not shy, but reflective. You take your time making decisions and tap into the power of solitude.
You aren’t disorganized or sloppy. You’re creative.
Are you too impulsive? That’s not always a bad thing since hyper-scheduling is stressful and doesn’t leave wiggle room. Also, being spontaneous leads to happiness and makes leisure activities more enjoyable.
Do you people find you intimidating? That means that you know know what your values are and what you want. That can even help you induce social change.
Do you believe that you’re irresponsible because you didn’t return a phone call? Maybe that’s because you were spending your time exploring, which makes you happier and self-confident.
Are you the type of person who doesn’t back down or has to be right? You aren’t stubborn. You’re persistent.
Rather than believing that you’re inflexible, consider yourself to be organized. As a result, you’re more consistent and reliable. It also makes how you spend your time much easier.

7. Ditch the toxicity.

Speaking of silver-linings, COVID-19 gave me a chance to get reacquainted with my priorities. Why was that important? Because that encouraged me to remove the unnecessary so that what truly matters to me is my sole focal point.

Sure. Pointless meetings and tasks were the first to go. But so were the septic people in my life, such as those who didn’t respect my time.

One such person that I removed was someone who I finally admitted was manipulating me. I woke-up to the fact that they were sabotaging my self-confidence to keep me bound to them. For instance, if I asked for their insight or feedback, they would tell me that my ideas weren’t unrealistic.

I would have welcomed constructive criticism. But, they instead put me down. And, that, at times, leads me down a downward spiral of negative self-talk.

I’ve since made it a point to surround myself with positive and supportive people. Just know that these aren’t “yes” men or women. They’re honest with you, but without making you feel like dirt.

8. Practice makes perfect.

The saying goes, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Personally, this is excellent advice when interacting with others. So, why not follow this golden rule when it comes to self-talk?

The next time a negative thought pops-up, don’t let it bring you down. Challenge that thought with one that’s more rational, gentle, and encouraging.

However, this isn’t something that you can change overnight. It’s going to take time and lots of practice. With that in mind, it’s suggested that you begin with one area of your life at a time, such as self-love, health, and wellness, or confidence, and work your way up from there.

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