The Art of Exceptional Living

Happiness -- the pursuit of so many. In fact, we are known in America as those who live for "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." But so many seem without happiness. Why is this? Is happiness truly elusive or do we simply not know how to take hold of it? It is my contention that happiness is yours for the taking. That is, anyone can be happy if they choose to be... and if they know how to get it. So what does it take to bring us to a state of happiness? Here are a few thoughts to get you on your way: Do not try to control circumstances. One of the biggest "happiness busters" I see is in the frustration people experience (and wallow in) because circumstances have gone awry. This is because their mind-set, whether they know it or not, is that they should be somehow able to control circumstances. But let's get this straight:  You can't! So the first thing you can do to give yourself happiness is to stop trying to control, or taking respo...

Personality development – Tips for creating a good first impression. Education is not always ultimate thing for getting good job. Personality development is always a key factor for anyone’s success in career, Social and working arenas. First impression is something which creates an image in the mind of the others about you. That impression is not judged by your qualification or by the educational degrees you hold. It totally depends upon your demeanor, body language, behavior, mannerism and appearance. A good first impression will not only serve you in your professional life it will also help you in setting a good tone for your personal relationships. This article will help to understand the ways to create a good and positive first impression and how to groom you. Tips to create good first impression- Grooming and personality development. • Punctuality is very important thing. Arriving in right time for any type meeting, social or business appointments is very necessary. Excuses...

Jim Rohn , the man many consider to be America’s Foremost Business Philosopher, shared his success philosophies and principles for over 46 years, with more than 6,000 audiences and over five million people worldwide. Jim was the 1985 recipient of the coveted CPAE Award for excellence in speaking as well as the 2004 recipient of the Masters of Influence Award from the National Speakers Association. Here is a list of 10 surprising things about success that most people don’t know. Each one is inspired by Jim Rohn, one of the world’s most respected teachers on success. Enjoy! 1) Success isn’t for just those who work harder than other people. It’s for those who work smarter. I know hugely successful people who work 4 hours a week, and unsuccessful people who work 90 hours a week. Success, therefore, is not always a function of effort. “ You don’t get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.” – Jim Rohn 2) You cannot run after success and catc...

Your ability to stay positive and maintain positive thoughts determines the tone of your emotional life. The words you use to describe what is happening to you, and to discuss how you feel about external events, trigger the emotions of happiness or unhappiness you experience. When you see things positively and constructively and look for the good in each situation and each person, you have a tendency to remain naturally cheerful and optimistic. Since the quality of your overall life is determined by how you feel, moment-to-moment, one of your most important goals should be to use positive affirmations and every other psychological technique available to keep yourself thinking and talking about what you want and to keep your mind off of what you don’t want, or what you fear. Repeat Positive Affirmations Daily Start every day by saying, “I like myself and I love my work, I like myself and I love my work, I like myself and I love my work.” Throughout the day, you can work at...

Is thankfulness a survival skill?  Perhaps most of you would respond with, “No, Jim, thankfulness is not key to survival,” and I would tend to agree with you.  Most of us have probably already solved the necessary problems of survival, gone beyond that and are now working to achieve our desires.  But let me give you this key phrase, “Learn to be thankful for what you already have, while you pursue all that you want.”  I believe one of the greatest and perhaps one of the simplest lessons in life we can learn is to be thankful for what we have already received and accomplished. Both the years and the experiences have brought me here to where I stand today, but it is the thankfulness that opened the windows of opportunities, of blessings, of unique experiences to flow my way.  My gratitude starts with my parents who raised me, gave me an incredible foundation that has lasted me all of these years and continues with the mentors that I’ve met along the way who ab...

Engaging in genuine discipline requires that you develop the ability to take action. You don't need to be hasty if it isn't required, but you don't want to lose much time either. Here's the time to act: when the idea is hot and the emotion is strong. Let's say you would like to build your library. If that is a strong desire for you, what you've got to do is get the first book. Then get the second book. Take action as soon as possible, before the feeling passes and before the idea dims. If you don't, here's what happens… YOU FALL PREY TO THE LAW OF DIMINISHING INTENT We intend to take action when the idea strikes us. We intend to do something when the emotion is high. But if we don't translate that intention into action fairly soon, the urgency starts to diminish. A month from now the passion is cold. A year from now it can't be found. So take action. Set up a discipline when the emotions are high and the idea is strong, clear, an...

“How do I stay positive when everyone and everything around me seems so negative?” This is a very common question I get from the community, especially lately. They point to the fires burning in our state, dealing with the higher-than-normal temperatures, the economy, and still many are struggling with unemployment. These are just a few of the reasons that people have pointed to in their emails to me when asking how to stay positive in spite of all of these things and more. As I was responding to the recent wave of emails I found myself using one word consistently, and that word was perspective. In my email response I encouraged the person to keep things in perspective and to temper any negativity or the feeling to be sucked in to someone else’s negativity with a positive outlook. The devastation of the fires is very real and the toll they have taken on lives, animals, homes and communities is overwhelming. I don’t want to place a positive “Band-Aid” or spin on something that is...

There is great power in the start. One of the things I have learned is that you have to expect the unexpected. So many of us have long-term plans but life happens and we don’t turn those plans into reality. Yes, planning is important. And remember that this day will never come again and what you do in the remaining hours of this day could move your life in a whole new direction. For example, today is the day you could pick up the phone and forgive that person who, you know in your heart, needs to be forgiven. Today is the day you could start getting into world-class health. Today is the day you could pull out your journal and reflect on what’s not working for you in your life. Today is the day you could articulate a new set of personal standards. Today is the day you could decide to be a world-class learner. I believe that your days are your life in miniature. As you live your days, so you craft your life. Ultimately, time management leads to life mastery. How the Best Succeed Suc...

I believe there are three kinds of people. There are winners, who know what they want and understand their potential and the possibilities. They take life on. Next are losers, who don't have a clue as to who they are. They allow circumstances to shape their lives and their self-image.  I believe there is a third group as well. This consists of potential winners whose lives are just slightly out of alignment. I call them wayward winners. It may be that they just need to learn how to be real winners. Perhaps they've hit a bump or two that has knocked them off course and they are temporarily befuddled. A failed relationship, a lost job, financial problems, unformed goals, a lack of parental support, illness—many things can send us off course temporarily. Wayward winners are not lost souls; they just need some tweaking and coaching and nudging to get them back on course. A map might be nice. Many of these wayward winners are easily identifiable because they are always searc...

A man was walking in the park one day when he came upon a cocoon with a small opening. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It looked like it had gotten as far as it could, so the man decided to help the butterfly. He used his pocketknife and snipped the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, but something was strange. The butterfly had a swollen body and shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected at any moment the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened. In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and deformed wings. It was never able to fly. What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to emerge was natural...

Values The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become. That is why I wish to pay fair price for every value. If I have to pay for it or earn it, that makes something of me. If I get it for free, that makes nothing of me. All values must be won by contest, and after they have been won, they must be defended. Don't sell out your virtue and your value for something you think you want. Judas got the money, but he threw it all away and hung himself because he was so unhappy with himself. Values were meant to be costly. If it doesn't cost much, we probably wouldn't appreciate the value. Count the cost first. Don't pay too big a price for pursuing minor values.