The Forever Moment of NOW.

We are always here. In this moment. Now. Each moment is the birth and death of a brief encounter of time. But perhaps it is time that is the myth?

Where ever we are, is actually a whenever we are. All we have is this moment, always. It’s always… RIGHT NOW.

This seems like an obvious statement, however, how often do we really enjoy the moment?

What do you do with Your Right Now’s?

It is an amazing thing to think that we are always in the forever moment of now. Unfortunately, many of us spend most of our time thinking about the past, or worrying about the future… instead of living the now. Being the Now. Right Here, Right Now.

What can we do in to ensure that the moment is spent in the best possible way. How can we maximize the moment?

Past is but a memory. It is the remembrance of moments in time. Nothing more. Only etheric synapses of the brain recalling remembered circumstances. There is nothing for us in yesterday.

“Yesterday’s got nothing for me.” - Axel Rose

I believe that is the first time that Gun’s and Rose’s have been quoted here on Cultivate Greatness. hah. But I feel compelled.

“Yesterdays” - GnR

Yesterday, there was so many things
I was never told
Now that I startin’ to learn
I feel I’m growin’ old

’cause yesterday’s got nothin’ for me
Old pictures that I’ll always see
Time just fades the pages
In my book of memories
Prayers in my pocket
And no hand in destiny
I’ll keep on movin’ along
With no time to planr my feet

’cause yesterday’s got nothing for me
Old pictures that I’ll always see
Some things could be better
If we’d all just let them be

Yesterday’s got nothin’ for me
Yesterday’s got nothin’ for me
Got nothin’ for me

Yesterday there were so many things
I was never shown
Suddenly this time I found
I’m on the streets and I’m all alone

Yesterdays got nothin’ for me
Old pictures that I’ll always see
I ain’t got time to reminisce old novelties

Yesterday’s got nothin’ for me
Yesterday’s got nothin’ for me
Yesterday’s got nothin’ for me
Yesterday

And here as a bonus and to balance out the Guns and Roses reference… here is Noel Gallagher of Oasis playing with Coldplay. Singing “Live Forever”.

Now that you are finished reading this. Enjoy this moment… and leave a comment. And always remember this…

NOW is the Moment of Power

Successfully,

Travis Wright

100 Simple Ways to Change Your Life for the Better

No matter how perfect you may think you are, the fact this there’s always some small way you can improve upon yourself. Whether it’s broadening your knowledge or reducing your impact on the earth, there are seemingly endless little things you can do to make a change for the better. Here, we’ll discuss 100 of these steps, and how you can go about doing them.

Health

Good health is the foundation of a good life, so make these improvements, and they’ll resonate out to the rest of your life.

1. Eat breakfast every morning: Eating breakfast is important for your health and mental power, supplying essential vitamins, minerals, and energy for your day.
2. Get a good night’s rest: You just can’t have a happy and productive life if you’re tired all of the time, so get some quality shut eye.
3. Drink water: Step up your water intake to lose weight, feel better, and improve your skin.
4. Eat slowly: Slow down when you eat, and you’ll find that you consume less while still feeling satisfied.
5. Cut down on junk food: Junk food has a nasty way of bringing your health down, so avoid it whenever possible, opting instead for healthy food like fresh fruits and vegetables.
6. Practice good dental hygiene: Researchers have found that dental hygiene is important for more than cosmetic reasons-it can help you chew food and even avoid heart disease.
7. Drink tea: Be sure to check out the powerhouse of benefits that tea can deliver, which includes improved memory and prevention of ills such as cavities, cancer, and heart disease.
8. Get some exercise: Whether you need to lose weight or not, exercise will have a positive effect on your overall health and quality of life.
9. Improve your energy: If you’re feeling sluggish all day, chances are you’re just not going to feel good about yourself. So take a few steps to boost your energy, and you’ll be better in your daily life.
10. Intensify your workouts: Researchers have found that by doing more intense workouts, you can enjoy similar benefits that you would with a more relaxed workout for a longer period of time.
11. Enjoy fish a few times a week: Eat fish, and you’ll get a serving of Omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce heart disease.
12. Wear better shoes: Don’t torture your toes with restrictive shoes all the time-limit the amount of time you spend in uncomfortable shoes.
13. Protect your skin: Stay out of the sun to avoid skin damage, or use sunblock to help.
14. Eat at home: It’s easier and cheaper to prepare healthy foods on your own at home, and skillfully cooking a meal is sure to impress just about anyone.
15. Get tested for prediabetes: Diabetes is a disease that many Americans are susceptible to, and by discovering it early on you can prevent it or lessen its impact.
16. Take a daily walk: Get a little bit of movement and clear your mind with a walk every day.
17. Lose weight: One of the best things you can do for your health and overall quality of life is to shed a few pounds.

Mental

Improve your mind by taking these simple steps.

18. Go back to school: Continuing your education does not have to be a complicated endeavor. Take an online class, or just a weekend seminar.
19. Read classic books: Improve your mind by finally picking up all those books you were supposed to read in school.
20. Plan: Always have a plan for your life, so you’ll know what you’re working toward.
21. Quit procrastinating: Resolve to get moving, and you’ll find that you have much more time than you originally realized.
22. Get inspired by a book: Read a book that will help you spark positive changes in your life.
23. Learn from your mistakes: Don’t let mistakes get you down. Instead, consider what you did wrong, and how you can avoid doing so again in the future.
24. Stop worrying: Let go of worry, and know that the future will come no matter what you do about it.
25. Learn to play a musical instrument: Pick up a guitar, or even a harp, to improve your mental capacity and have something fun to do.
26. Work to your own advantage: Improve upon what you can, and let the rest fall away.
27. Think slowly: Instead of jumping to conclusions, carefully calculate what a situation means. Doing so can help you save relationships that might be damaged by rash thinking
28. Participate in a debate: Have a rational discussion with someone of similar intellect to improve your knowledge.
29. Learn a new language: Broaden your horizons by learning how to speak a new language.
30. Visit Wikipedia: Spend some time on Wikipedia learning lots of interesting facts you’ve never realized before.

Read more

Emotional Intelligence For Greater Success

By Charles A. Breeding

Recall the opening scene in the blockbuster movie, Forrest Gump – a feather floating in the wind, up and down and all around with no control or sense of direction whatsoever. I would argue that many business people feel that awful feeling of being powerless, being blown around by the latest change of which they have no power, influence or sense of control. Helpless. It is not a good feeling.

Later in the movie, as Forrest’s son is about to leave for his first day of school, he asks his father a thought-provoking question: “Is life like a feather (I’m powerless over many events which affect me) or do I have destiny (I can set goals, and purposefully move toward them)?” Forrest’s answer: “ I guess it’s just a little bit of both, son.” Isn’t it?

Stuff Happens, says the cleaned-up version of the famous bumper sticker. Yet, 10% of success is what happens to you –90% of success is what you DO with what happens to you. In other words, do you respond or react? Do you quit, or get up and try again? Are you a golf club thrower, or do you recoup quickly? Do you let your feelings of resentment or anger get the best of you, or are you as cool as a cucumber in a crisis? Do you say things that you later regret? Or, when attacked, respond with calmly spoken, kind words, and perhaps make the other person regret their attack?

IQ or EQ?
Emotional Intelligence, sometimes abbreviated EI or EQ, in a takeoff of IQ, has become a hot management leadership consulting area in the last two years. Emotional skills have replaced experience and IQ or intelligence as the most important markers of personal success. EI is rooted in the belief that success is only partly explained by IQ, or one’s intellect. More important is how one behaves in response to events, and how well they interact with people.
Read more

Relaxation Rescue

by Laura M. Turner

Let’s face it, stress is everywhere. It lurks in every corner and around every bend, just waiting to “get” us. And study after study concludes that although some stress can be productive, prolonged stress can lead to chronic illness.

Yet, stress can only “get us” if we let it. If we can agree that the mind and body are interconnected, than I believe you can actually decide to manage stress, take control of it and instantly over-come the negative influences brought to you by your environment.

Now, stay with me for the “clinical” stuff. Scientific evidence supports that the stress of the body comes from the nervous system’s “fight or flight response.” If you haven’t heard this term before, it’s when the body suspects trauma and instantly shifts into “survival mode” based on the stimulus of an oncoming stress factor. This “survival mode” response, does terrible things to the body including increasing heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, muscle tension. These are the bad boys that can lead to harmful changes over time.

Now for the good news: you can teach your body not to make the shift into survival mode. Do this by retraining your body to create its own relaxation response. How? Begin by incorporating these three proven relaxation rescue techniques into your own life:

Meditation:
Meditation provides an escape from stress as it refocuses the mind on something else - most often the breath. The benefits of meditation counteract the negative stress-responses by creating a mode of deep inner peace and physical health. It does this by slowing the heart rate and lowering the blood pressure. It also includes many other benefits including those of anti-aging.
Read more

Next Page »