Does life really have to be hard?

Do you really have to toil and graft for everything you get in life?

There are many people in life who think that way. Indeed, probably most people I’ talk to think the only route to success is through hard work. Most of them tell me that nothing worthwhile comes easy in life. But, you know what? I reckon they’re wrong!

OK, I know that’s a bold statement, but read on and I’ll explain more!

Maybe this little storywill help…

Sometime ago, I ran a marathon? Well… in truth, it was more than sometime ago… it was many years ago! And I have to confess, it was hard work… incredibly hard work! But… it was hard, because that’s the way I viewed it. It was hard, because I told myself it would be hard. I convinced myself, it was going to be a battle… and I was right… it was a battle!

Look, there’s no doubt running a marathon will take some effort. There’s no doubt, you’ll sweat a little (or maybe a lot!) and you’ll certainly ache for a few days afterwards! But, the point here is that by viewing a marathon in a different way, it takes on a new outlook.

Instead of dreading every step, view every stride as a step closer to the finish line. Instead of seeing it as a battle, view it as a challenge… a challenge that you are relishing… a challenge in which you’re determined to come out on top.

By viewing things differently, they really do become challenges that are exciting to overcome rather than a battle to dread.

The real secret, is to focus on what you want to achieve… then do something to take you a step closer to your goal… and then trust in the process. Trust in the Universal Powers that surround you and guide you to success. The important thing to remember here though, is that once you have started the ball rolling and taken some inspired action, that’s when The Universe steps in to help you. That’s when you have the power of the whole Universe behind you!

All too often, we decide what we want, set some goals, start working towards our targets, but we don’t believe we can succeed. We don’t trust in the process. Because, we think we’ll fail, that’s what we do… we fail!

In reality, you’re so close to success. All you have to do is.. believe! Believe that you are going to succeed. That’s what I mean when I say trust in the process.

In a nutshell, then, by trusting in the process and believing you will succeed, you make your goals so much easier to achieve. You won’t be battling against yourself… or anyone else. You’ll be rising to each and every challenge with excitement and enthusiasm.

Now… that sounds a lot easier than working hard to me! What about you? What do you think?

The choice is yours… rise to the challenge with excitement and enjoy what you’re doing… or think of everything as hard work.
I know which option I’m taking!

Losing… or failing… is a great chance to learn!

To learn about yourself…

About humility…

About perseverance…

And so much more.

As well as that it’s a great motivator!

Hmmm… come to think of it… there’s no such thing as failure… not if you learn from it!”

Keep learning… it’s the route to success!

Keith L Jones
Life coach and Internet Entrepreneur

“Develop a gratitude attitude!

Sorry, that sounds a bit… well tacky, I suppose!

But what I mean is… be grateful for the good things in your life, and don’t let your gratitude fade.

Look, as we get used to things, we tend to take them for granted. To prevent that happening, write down five things that you’re grateful for… and do it every day. Do that and you’ll never… ever… take anything for granted ever again!

Try it… it really does work!”

So… what are you grateful for today?

Make today a great day.

Keith L Jones
Life Coach and Internet Entrepreneur

One thing’s for sure… men and women are definitely two totally different species! There’s absolutely no doubt that there are many differences between the sexes, but that doesn’t have to be a problem. Though it certainly will be… if you let it!

The secret to success in any relationship, is to accept that differences exist and then use those differences to enhance your relationship. There’s no point dwelling on the things that are different, that will get you nowhere… fast! The best option by far is to make sure you use the differences to your best advantage.

So, the big question is, “How do you do that?”

The most important thing to remember about your relationship is that both you and your partner are working together… you’re on the same team! Though sometimes, when you see people arguing and fighting with each other all the time, it seams as though they’re on opposing teams!

And which teams are most successful? The teams that work together of course! But, not only that… the most successful teams have ‘players’ to fill every position… players with different talents or skills. After all, where would a baseball team be if it had 9 great pitchers and no hitters? Where would a football team (soccer for my American friends!) be with eleven outstanding forwards and no defenders (defence!)?

Get my point? I’m sure you do. So the secret then is to harness and utilize the different skills and talents that each of you have in order to help the team perform to the best of its ability. By working with each other, by using each others talents, your relationship will grow from strength to strength.

OK, that’s all very well, you may be thinking, but what about the things we have in common? Won’t it be a problem if we’re both impulsive or if we both like to take the lead on things? Of course you may not be thinking that at all… but since you’re still reading… hey… let’s see this through!

This is where that wonderful word, compromise, comes in! Let’s go back to our sporting analogy and look at our baseball team. If we only had one decent pitcher, we’d be in big trouble if he were to get injured or if he was just having a bad day… even the best pitchers have an occasional bad day! When that happens it’s important to have some back-up… yes, you’ve got it… we need a stand-in pitcher to take over!

My guess is you’re way ahead of me now… but just in case you’re not… the same applies in relationships. If both of you like to lead then simply take it in turns. Let your partner lead sometimes… and on other occasions, you take the lead. That way, if one of you is having a bad day, the other can take over. How cool is that?

Look, if you take nothing else from this article, just remember that you’re in your relationship together. Forget about egos. Forget about scoring points by winning arguments. Work as a team… for the good of the team… always. You are both star players. You are both equal.

So acknowledge your differences and use them to help your relationship grow. At the same time, embrace your common talents and use them to help your relationship grow too!

Make today a great day!

Keith L Jones