HOW TO HAVE RESPECT FOR YOURSELF

If you want respect from other people, you may first have to develop respect for yourself. Even if people respect or befriend you anyway, eventually you will need to have respect for yourself, or else you may drive your friends away or prevent yourself from forming new friendships. And, of course, self-respect and self-esteem is very important even for introverts, shy people, or loners (each very different personality types, of course) to lead a satisfying life.

HERE'S HOW:

1. Don't bring yourself down. Don't let your mistakes alone define who you are. Spend time to consider what your strengths and good qualities are. Move past your mistakes and work only on the repeated mistakes that are holding you back. Never neglect your strengths and good qualities.
2. Build your knowledge base of social, practical, and professional thoughts, sayings, and practices. Spend some time learning about things you have an interest in or might be passionate about. Read articles and search for similar knowledge sites to learn more about what's possible. Even if you can't apply some of those things, be confident that they will serve you well in the future, or in unexpected ways.
3. Never condemn or bemoan yourself. Rather, pay attention to confident, non-condemning people and gain confidence from observing or being around them. If you have a tendency towards jealousy, put that aside and just start incorporating the positive and admirable traits of others.
4. Focus on learning and doing things to build up who you are, but not at the expense of others. Build on what you know, what you are capable of, what your strengths/passions are. Don't be discouraged or stressed out by mistakes. Think of mistakes as lessons in what to try differently next time. Thomas Edison once said: "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
5. Develop yourself by practicing the seven virtues (regardless of being religious or not). The restraint and selflessness acquired will not only earn respect for yourself, but make you a better person overall.
6. Expect respect from people as you respect others, and then expect more of it as you respect others more. Be true to yourself.
7. Don't let others force you to do things you don't want to do just for their approval. Rather expect others to do uncomfortable or annoying tasks or service for you, if they expect you to do uncomfortable or annoying tasks or services for them. Otherwise you shouldn't be doing such things.
8. Be friendly to everyone. Learn about different cultures and how respect works in those. Try not to judge others or their culture until you personally meet them and get to know them. You can ask them why they do what they do, as long as you explain the same about yourself and your own culture if they wonder why you asked them. Accept and maybe incorporate from each other. If you like your ways, simply be aware of different ways. When you are around a group of a different culture, consider conforming to their ways out of a sign of respect (ask how to do this since you will be expected to act somewhat like a foreigner). Maybe they will be able to do the same when they are around a group of your culture. However, don't worry about it too much. Different families and cultures expect others to act differently or to understand things differently. Some of that is very acceptable. Just be respectful of the differences. There is not one way of doing things or of being in this world. Respecting others way of being doesn't mean becoming their way of being.
9. If you are having trouble getting hung up over someone romantically, be sure to learn about relationship and dating. At the same time, don't neglect developing other friends and interests, otherwise you won't have much to offer to a relationship, or even to yourself!
10. Have fun as your develop friendships,interests, purposes, passions. Enjoy the journey of learning to respect yourself as a unique individual who has something to offer in this world.

IDENTIFY AND LIVE YOUR PERSONAL VALUES

Values are traits or qualities that are considered worthwhile; they represent your highest priorities and deeply held driving forces. When you are part of any organization, you bring your deeply held values and beliefs to the organization. There they co-mingle with those of the other members to create an organization or family culture.

Value statements are grounded in values and define how people want to behave with each other in an organization, an institution, a company, or a family. They are statements about how the organization will value customers, suppliers, and the internal community. Value statements describe actions which are the living enactment of the fundamental values held by most individuals within the organization.

The following are examples of values. You might use these as the starting point for thinking about and articulating your values as a human being.

Examples of Values

ambition, competency, individuality, equality, integrity, service, responsibility, accuracy, respect, dedication, diversity, improvement, enjoyment/fun, loyalty, credibility, honesty, innovativeness, teamwork, excellence, accountability, empowerment, quality, efficiency, dignity, collaboration, stewardship, empathy, accomplishment, courage, wisdom, independence, security, challenge, influence, learning, compassion, friendliness, discipline/order, generosity, persistency, optimism, dependability, flexibility

Why Identify and Establish Your Values?

Your values are made up of everything that has happened to you in your life and include influences from: your parents and family, your religious affiliation, your friends and peers, your education, your reading, and more. Effective people recognize these environmental influences and identify and develop a clear, concise, and meaningful set of values/beliefs, and priorities. Once defined, values impact every aspect of your life.

• You demonstrate and model your values in action in your personal and work behaviors, decision making, contribution, and interpersonal interaction.
• You use your values to make decisions about priorities in your daily work and home life.
• Your goals and life purpose are grounded in your values.

Choose the values that are most important to you, the values you believe in and that define your character. Then live them visibly every day at work and at home. Living your values is one of the most powerful tools available to you to help you be the person you want to be, to help you accomplish your goals and dreams, and to help you lead and influence others. Don't waste your best opportunity.

THE POWER OF A POSITIVE ATTITUDE

I am going to ask you something very unusual right now. First of all, I want you to listen to your thoughts. Now tell me, what thoughts fill your head? Would you label them as positive, or negative?

Now let's say you are walking down the street with these thoughts. Do you think anyone would be able to tell you what's on your mind?

The answer to number one is up to you. But, the answer to number two can be pretty generic.

Although people will not be able to tell you exactly what you think, they will more or less have an idea of how you are feeling.

Here's another question. When you enter a party filled with friends, do they all fall silent as if something terrible had happened? Or does everybody there perk up as if they're waiting for something exciting to happen?

You know what? The answer to all these depends on your state of mind.

Thoughts are very powerful. They affect your general attitude. The attitude you carry reflects on your appearance, too - unless, of course, you are a great actor.

And it doesn't end there. Your attitude can also affect people the around you. The type of attitude you carry depends on you. It can be either positive or negative.

Positive thoughts have a filling effect. They are admittedly exhilarating. Plus, the people around the person carrying positive thoughts are usually energized by this type of attitude.

Negative thoughts on the other hand have a zapping effect on other people. Aside from making you look gloomy and sad, negative thoughts can turn a festive gathering into a funeral wake.

A positive attitude attracts people, while a negative attitude repels them. People tend to shy away from those who carry a negative attitude.

We can also define attitude as the way of looking at the world. If you choose to focus on the negative things in the life, more or less you are fostering a negative attitude. However, if you choose to focus on the positive things, you are more likely carry a positive attitude.

You have much to gain from a very positive attitude. For one, studies have shown that a positive attitude promotes better health. Those with this kind of attitude also have more friends. projecting a positive attitude also helps one to handle stress and problems better than those who have a negative attitude.

A positive attitude begins with a healthy self-image. If you will love the way you are and are satisfied, confident, and self-assured, you also make others around you feel the same way.

On the other hand, a negative attitude, has the opposite effect. So, carrying a negative attitude has a two-fold drawback. You feel bad about yourself, and you make others feel the same way.

If you want to have a positive attitude, you have to maintain healthy thoughts. This is actually very hard to do nowadays since all around us the media feeds us nothing but negative thoughts. A study shows that for every 14 things a parent says to his or her child,
only one is positive. This is truly a depressing thought.

If you want a healthier outlook in life, you need to think happy thoughts. You also have to hear positive things as well. So, what can you do? Well, for starters, you could see a funny movie, you could play with children, or spend some time telling jokes with friends. All these activities fill you with positive stimuli, which in turn promotes positive attitude.

Although it is impossible to keep ourselves from the negative things around us, you can still carry a positive attitude by focusing on the good things, the positive things in life.

And this positive attitude you now carry can be of benefit to other people. Sometimes when other people feel down, the thing most people do is try to give them advice. But sometimes, all they need is somebody to sit with them, and listen to their thoughts and feelings. If you have a positive attitude you may be able to cheer them up without even having to say anything.

If positive attitude is really great, why do people choose to adopt a negative attitude instead? One who carries a negative attitude may be actually sending a signal for attention.

So you don't misunderstand what I'm saying, feeling sad, angry, or gloomy is not wrong itself. But dwelling on these thoughts for far too long is not healthy either. There is a time to mourn, but don't continually dwell on the subject or situation; change it!

If you are inundated with troubles, even in your darkest hour, focus on the good things in life, it will always give you hope. Problems are something you can overcome.

You don't have anything to lose by adopting a healthy, positive attitude. Studies show that such an attitude actually defers aging, makes you healthier, helps you develop a better stress coping mechanism, and has a very positive effect on all the people you meet every
day. So, what's not to like about a positive attitude? Adopt one today.

HOW TO STOP FEELING LIKE EVERYTHING IS BATTLE YOU NEED TO WIN

Do you feel like each day in your life is comparable to a fight in a boxing ring? You may mentally spar with your cubicle-mate, trying to one-up his or her suggestions and ultimately win a promotion.

Or you frequently have an urge to go faster than every other car on the highway, and can’t stand being behind anyone while on the road? Even while at home you might challenge your significant other to get your way on everything from what to eat for dinner to where to take your next vacation. In other words, you want to win at everything, almost at any cost.

While a competitive edge is usually something attributed to men, women can also be concerned with “winning,” as can people from all walks of life. In general, America is a society where winning is highly valued. Just think about the number of verbal and physical outbursts that occur between parents at high school (and even younger aged) sports events!

“People who are the most likely to feel like life is a battle are those who have been brought up to believe in this lie, no matter what their walk of life or career.

Why the “Winning is Everything” Mentality is Risky

Clearly, there is nothing wrong with a bit of healthy competition. Where the problem comes in is in viewing your entire life like a battle -- one that you must constantly struggle to win. This mentality surrounds you in a negative sea of emotions, from chronic stress to anxiety to greed, when none need exist. This is because, in reality, winning is certainly not everything. Most truly successful people have only become that way after a failure, and usually a string of them. Embracing Failure is, quite often, a key trait of respected leaders.

Further, “Those who measure themselves based on comparison and others’ opinions of them -- rather than looking inside for their own yard stick of self-measurement -- tend to get more lost in competition.”

In other words, those who get caught up in competition are often so worried about where they stand on the corporate ladder and keeping up “with the Joneses,” that they easily overlook what it is they themselves truly desire, along with what they need to truly feel happy.

How to Start Embracing Life in Peace

When you learn to release the belief that life is a battle, it paves the way for a much happier result: everyone can win. You needn’t look at life as a battle because no one has to lose. Further, one only has to look at the beauty of nature or the smile of a child to realize that most great things in life don’t require “winning” at all.

“Life is not a battle unless you make it so". “When you focus on win/win, as opposed to win/lose, you find that everyone comes out on top. The more you allow yourself to do your best and be open to others winning as well, the more you’ll find new levels of cooperation and success. Meanwhile, you can stay focused on the task at hand -- instead of constantly comparing your performance to others. This all leads to you feeling a lot more secure and effective because you are able to stop judging yourself unfairly based on your level of success.”

The key to reaching this place in your life is to let go of the self-limiting belief that life is a battle by using The Sedona Method. This is a scientifically proven tool that will teach you how to release negative thought processes as easily as you can release the steam from a tea pot. Once free of this negative energy, including the feeling to always compete, you will be able to embrace the notion that everyone can be a success, and you will likely feel a sense of relief, contentment and peace that you may never have experienced before.

HOW TO BE HAPPY

Here are 5 tips on how to live a happy life?

Tip # 1. Study to work on YOU! That means work on personal development. Be involved in self-improvement. Work on your walk-head held high, no slouching, or holding your head down. Smile alot no frowns. Work on your body, mind, and well-being. Read 10 pages a day on a good book to build your knowledge. Be your own library. Listen to audios for 15 minutes. Rise to the occasion and be the best that you can be.

Tip #2. Work on your spirituality! Do know that you are a spiritual being. Know that everything and everyone has a source. Tree-Dirt, Fish-Water, Man-God. That being the case stay close to your source. Pray for instructions, guidance, and understanding. Meditate and read your Bible. Practice fasting so that you can clear your mind and body.

Tip #3 Treat people the way you want to be treated. Love your neighbors like you love yourself. Respect people and yourself. Be kind and send out loving thoughts.

Tip #4 Learn to forgive. Don't hold grudges. Don't keep bad thoughts in your body it will make you sick. Don't have resentment in your heart because that will cause liver problems. Don't be mad at someone that can cause a heart attack. Negativity literally causes a dis- ease in the body. So keep your body at ease and release toxic thoughts and feelings. Learn to cry and let go, that will also relieve toxic when you cry. Crying will make you feel better so do that as often as you like. It doesn't show weakness, it may just save your life- men.

Tip # 5 Help someone. To have a happy life forget about you and help somebody else. When you help someone else, all of your needs will be met too. The saying goes, "If you will help enough people get where they are trying to go, you will be where you want to be." So practice each day to do something nice for someone without looking for anything in return.

These are just a few tips that I have practiced and my life is happy. If you can only do one thing, then prayer is the answer to all things. If you can start your day with prayer, then you will gain understanding, insights and directions that will lead you to living a happy life.