Beyond the comfort zone.

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If there is one thing predictable about me, it’s the fact that I love my comfort zone. I stay in it. I normally don’t go beyond it. I am that boring, I am honest enough to admit.

But this year, I am all about self-care and going outside my comfort zone. I might just stay outside of it a few steps beyond it but for me, that’s already a bold move. This year, I will be turning 40. The big 4-0! So, I feel that this year should be about me.

Three goals that I must accomplish this year:

  • Learn a new language.

    I remember my cousin and I talked about his desire to learn a new language and how he’s put it as one of his goals every single year. This 2018, though, he’s taken the step to reach that goal of his. He’s now officially enrolled as a French language student. I, too, would love to learn French but there’s Spanish, Nihongo, Mandarin, Italian, and German. There are so many beautiful languages I would love to be fluent at.

    I’d start with Nihongo, maybe?
  • Tidy up the house and make it zen-like.

    I love a clean and organized house. If you belong to a large family and you all live in the same house, you would know and can definitely relate to the struggles of organization. There is always something to pick up on the floor, something you’d bump onto, something misplaced. This is the year that I plan to re-organize our home, make clutter disappear as much as possible, beat the heat indoors, and make our living space quieter, more peaceful.
  • Go on an adventure.

    When I was in my 20’s, I told friends that I wanted to go bungee jumping and white water rafting. I was always on a budget so money that I set aside for an adventure would automatically become a savings fund for family expenses. The desire to go on an adventure faded as I get older.

    But now that I am turning 40 soon, I thought, why not now? I’ve always been too cautious and safe that when you dissect my life, you’d realize how boring it is. I am not going to go a daring, risky adventure. I am thinking that instead of bungee jumping and white water rafting, I’d go hiking. It’s also an activity I’d always wanted to do but had no time for. I’d make time for it this year. I will start with hiking and we’ll see what other adventure I’d get myself into.

My three goals for this year may not be too much for others but it’s realistic for me, doable.

What are your goals for this year?

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Planning ahead for your child’s birthday

As a parent, your child’s birthday is one of the highlights of every year. Being able to see them enjoy themselves with their friends and family is simply amazing. You always want to make this day extra-special for them, which is where a little pre-planning can help. As with everything in life, planning ahead for your child’s birthday will make it go more smoothly and mean that you can enjoy the day itself with them.

What can you do to make your child’s birthday go with a bang?

By far the best advice around planning for your child’s birthday is to start thinking early about what you might do. This will allow you to settle on the best idea without rushing and ensure that you have time to get all the arrangements in place well in advance.

The main area to think about is what you will actually do for the big day – obviously, as long as it is not a surprise, it is best to talk to your child to see what they would like to do. Some great ideas include:

  • Party – of course, most children will love a good party to celebrate their big day. If this is the case for you, then think about whether you will do it at home or at an outside venue. You will also need to think about who will provide the food, getting invites out to their friends in time, and if you will have a particular theme.
  • Holiday – another great idea to consider is taking your child on a family holiday to enjoy their birthday. If you decide to do this, then you’ll need to choose your destination and get the tickets booked in time.
  • Cinema or bowling trip – for older children, a trip to see the latest film is a good choice. In terms of pre-planning, you’ll need to find out the time that the film is showing as well as letting their friends know in advance. Bowling is another great choice and will be sure to keep older children fully entertained.

Don’t forget the gifts!

The other major thing to think about when planning for your child’s birthday is the gifts that they would like. For younger children, classic items such as building blocks, scooters, bikes, and fun games are a great option. If your little one likes cars, then the Magic Tracks Mega Set is a fabulous gift. This is a wonderful set with a flexible track that the included cars race around – what’s even better is that it also glows in the dark.

If your child is a bit older, then it is probably electrical items that you will thinking about buying! From console systems or items such as mobile phones and tablets, they will love anything that they can play about on.

Proper planning is vital

The essential aspect of enjoying your child’s birthday to the full is planning for it properly. By doing this, you will make sure that they have a day to remember, whatever you’ve got in store for them. If you really want to make it one to remember, make it a surprise and see their face light up when all is revealed.

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Self Improvement: Taking Steps Towards A Happier You

When you have a busy work and home life; it can be easy to forget about your wellbeing, and often you’ll get pushed to the bottom of your priority list. It’s easy to focus on other people, and make sure that their happiness is paramount in all you do. However, maintaining your own satisfaction, health, and happiness can be far more difficult. If you don’t focus on yourself a little more; you’ll end up suffering from stress and fatigue, and looking after your other responsibilities will have to take a backseat while you recover.

Therefore, there no better time to start thinking about all the things that will improve you as a person and your lifestyle as a whole. Get your notebook and pen ready, and write down a list of things that you’d like to achieve in the near future. Work backwards from each point or goal so that you end up with the steps you’ll need to take towards self-improvement and happiness in the coming months. The following are some ideas, inspiration, and advice for those who are seeking a little push in the right direction to learn how to achieve positive changes in their life.

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If You Can: Fix It!

There’s no use in worrying or moaning about something that you’re able to fix with a little effort and planning. Making positive decisions about your health, situation, and wellbeing is the best way to improve your life and yourself in the meantime. Therefore, whether you need to look for reliable eye centre for Lasik eye surgery so that your vision improves, or you need to visit a physiotherapist to sort out the pains in your knee that have stopped you exercising; there’s no time like the present. Often, it can be easier at the time to ignore those things you can live with. However, being proactive and changing things is the best way to improve your life, and you’ll never regret that boost of positivity.

Help Others And Grow

Aside from those in your immediate family and close friends that you feel responsible for; you may not have made much time to help others. However, volunteering and spending time with those in need will help you to grow and develop as a person. You’ll not only be improving another’s life; you’ll be able to reap the rewards and who knows where your actions may lead. Helping others can enhance your self-esteem, which will lead to inner confidence and self-worth; this might just get you that date you wanted, or a promotion at work, so it’s well worth investing your time.

It’s crucial that you look into each part of your lifestyle and yourself; you’ll be able to find out what you can achieve, and you can then ensure that you’re doing all you can to change things for the better. Stay positive and proactive, and make a conscious decision each day to do things a little differently so that you can make great decisions and have a bright future ahead.

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Making Changes For 2018

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When the new year approaches, we all seem to step back and evaluate our lives in a much more detailed way. It is in December where we really think about who we are, who we’d like to be and how we will achieve it. Many of us will be enjoying Christmas eating and drinking with our families, hibernating in the house as a last celebration before starting a blank slate in 2018.

Deciding to start fresh and make lifestyle changes in the new year can be daunting, but it can also be a great way to leave our old ways behind and begin again- renewed and healthy.

The mistake many of us make from the off is to try and overhaul every single aspect of our lives in
one day. The issue with going cold turkey on your old habits is that we end up concentrating so much on the changes we make that we are unable to just enjoy the new year in all it’s glory. We end up focussing so much on what to eat and how many hours to exercise that we cannot turn these changes into habits and they fade away within the first few weeks of January.

Making changes in your life is hard. It requires focus, determination and a willingness to succeed. If one of these factors isn’t strong enough you won’t be able to make the changes you want in life.

That’s why instead of thinking big and changing your diet, exercise, habits and fashion sense all in one day, you need to start with small steps and work your way up to making every change you wish for. You will see that by doing this it is much easier to handle all the challenges that life brings and you will be a better person by the end of the year.

Here are some of the changes you can start thinking about making in the new year.

Appreciate what you already have

Before you start changing everything about yourself and the way you live: it is important to take a minute to think about the positives and be thankful for the way your life is right now. You might not have an instagrammable life every single day like some people: but there are things you do have that would make even those people jealous. Think of your family, the friends you surround yourself with and the person you love. These people choose to be around you just as you are at this moment. And then think about the other parts of your life. You may already have started trying new foods and exercises, and maybe you’ve swapped out the cigarettes for Vapor Vanity. Even if you haven’t reached your goals yet, you have laid that foundation and you have made the effort to change. Before you change anything else, be happy with what you have.

Don’t be afraid to express

If you see someone on the bus who has a lovely coat or dress: don’t be afraid to let them know. The idea of complimenting a stranger is an odd one to say the least, however you will be expressing your thoughts and also making someone else’s day better. Sometimes speaking your mind is the best way to make you more confident and can be a great way to keep your mental health in check. You’ve probably heard that one of the worst causes of stress related illnesses and anxiety is holding emotions in and not talking to people when you are struggling with things. This is the time you need to learn to open up, pay a compliment or express your concerns with a friend. You are not alone in this world and sharing your thoughts and feelings can turn you into a much more open person overall.

Love yourself

Yes, we know. Learning how to love ourselves is probably one of the most difficult things in the world. We tend to see the flaws in ourselves and judge ourselves much more harshly than anyone else would. This can damage our self esteem and make us feel inadequate very quickly. To love ourselves we need to stop focusing on the negatives and look at the positive things instead. Take a minute to look in the mirror each morning and spot 3 things you like about yourself. It could be the way your eyes compliment the shirt you are wearing, your smile, or even something bout the shape of your body. Get out of the habit of pointing out the bad, and point out the good instead. You will in turn step out of the house feeling much more confident and happy in your own skin.

Make time for the people who matter

You might be familiar with the following scene:

You come home from work and say hi t your family members or partner. Then you cook dinner for the family, ask each other about your day, wash up and sit in the living room on your phone catching up on social media.

Do you see the issue here? You might spend 10 minutes talking to your loved ones, but then the rest of the evening is spent with you all sitting in the same room on your phones or devices. Break this habit and instead turn your phones off, being out a board game in the evening and make some time to actually speak to your family and get to know them better. Take some time to reconnect with old friends and see if they are free for a coffee. Take the time you would normally spend on social media to call your family and ask them how they are. It will change your perspective and really allow you to see what is truly important in life.

Change your routine

One of the most difficult things we deal with is boredom. When you find that the days are melting into one because you do EXACTLY the same thing each day: you know that you are wasting the time you have on this earth. Humans only live for 70-80 years. Which might seem like a long time but in the grand scheme of things it’s a blink of an eye. What you make of your life will define the footprint you leave behind for the future. Rather than waste the days away doing the same thing over and over again: try something new. It could be that once a week you go to a yoga class or a sport class in the evening, or maybe you decide to travel for a month around Europe. Take some time in 2018 to try something new every month. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, just challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone and experience life at its fullest. The result will be that you feel alive and invigorated.

Keep learning

We never stop learning new things. It could be something academic, something about the world or simply a story from a stranger. We learn new things every single day and it is these things which shape the kind of person we are and allow us to make the most informed life decisions we can.

Take some time today to either talk to someone new or read an article about something you’ve never learnt about. We spend our lives taking in information and the more we learn, the more we can grow as a person. See from someone else’s perspective and you may be surprised and what you learn about yourself in the process. You may even find that a new person has just the right advice for an issue you are facing in your life or business.

Never grow up

It seems weird when we think back to being a child, wishing that we were adult. Once we get into adulthood we will often change our view and wish we were children all over again. Just because you are an adult doesn’t mean you have to act like one. Take some time at the weekend to do something you used to do when you were a kid. It could be painting with your fingers, playing football in the garden or even making friendship bracelets. It might seem like a weird thing to do but it can take your stress away for a moment as you mentally rewind the clock to your childhood days. Sometimes we need to be fun and do silly things we don’t have to feel like we must sit in silence and read the newspaper every evening. Do what you love to do and don’t worry what anyone else may think about it. You are your own person and you deserve to have a little fun. And if it snows in the week leading up to Christmas, don’t just tut and worry about how icy it will be in a few days: get out there and have a snowball fight! Love your life and have some fun in 2018!

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Learning to be Selfless in a Selfish World

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If you struggle with selfishness, you will be glad to hear you are not alone! It can be really hard to put others first and yourself second and as lessons go, this is a long one. In fact, you may spend your whole life striving to do better and become a more selfless person.

Prayer alone won’t do it, though. You need to got out into the world and discover God’s purpose for you.

Mission Trips and Camp

Christian camps are perfect for bringing youths into contact with God and his teachings. They are also ideal places to really get in touch with yourself and figure out what your purpose is. Even one summer as a counselor at a Christian Camp one summer at college can change your life forever and open your eyes to what is meant to be.

Mission trips for teenagers are a great opportunity too. They teach lifelong lessons to help kids set aside their selfishness and care for a community or restore an environment.

Tapping your deep pockets thru a GoFundMe is one way to help those who are interested in going to these mission trips and camps. You may be an instrument in teaching that it doesn’t hurt to be selfless especially in helping others.

The trip might only last a few days, but the experience, like a Christian Camp will last forever and lay a deep foundation for their faith.

Volunteer

The best way to tackle your selfishness head on is to volunteer your time for someone needy. This might be helping out someone who is elderly or sick or it could be a regular activity you do with your church. Giving your time is so beneficial for these people because it shows that you care for them and are willing to put them first. Embody the spirit of Christ and find joy in your selflessness.

Setting time aside for other people will also help you to place your own needs behind those of others. Take a moment to reflect on how you can help and the good you can spread. Let these thoughts influence your prayer to and pray for others as well as guidance for yourself. As time goes on, you will feel the change in yourself – your personal, spiritual and social growth. This can only be a good thing.

Love Thy Neighbor

Finding the ability to love everyone in your heart is a ability that takes more than selflessness, it takes empathy and and strength. Above all else, being able to feel love, even for those who would wish you harm, is a true test of faith and your own determination to be guided by God. Everyone deserves salvation and that is what loving and praying for your neighbors is about: giving them the chance to find God as you have and share in the joy he brings.

When so many others are selfish – and our world has never been so selfish, it seems – it is hard not to look inwardly and become selfish too. It takes time and effort to become selfless, it will be a work in progress over your whole life. But with some guidance from God, you will find yourself in positions where you can make a difference and become truly selfless, even for a moment.

Trust, and He will provide.

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Mastering Adulthood One Piece At A Time

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For most people, the idea of leaving school when they are young is one of the greatest things imaginable. The thought of complete freedom and a life without school is very grand, and most kids will embrace it wholeheartedly. That is, of course, until they actually get to experience it, and are exposed to the challenges it can bring. Being an adult is never easy. But, it doesn’t have to be all hard, and this post is here to help you out. It will be exploring five of the most important areas of adult life, along with the ways that you can keep them under control for yourself. So, now, being nice and responsible should come as second nature.

Finance

The very first area to consider in this is finance. Budgeting, saving, investing, and even donating to charity are all a huge part of life, and you will need to get to grips with them before you can be confident in your abilities as an adult. The best place for help in this area is usually the bank. This sort of organization will be able to give you impartial advice, while also pointing you in the right direction to help you learn. As your knowledge expands, you can begin to look elsewhere for money or debt help, using all of the sources you can get your hands on. Of course, though, there’s no shame in getting help with something like this, and an accountant is an excellent way to do it.

Work & Career

Next, it’s time to start thinking about your career. As a child, you probably had loads of big ideas about your future, and most of them will have been unrealistic. Over time, a lot of people will lose touch with these aspirations, settling in a role they don’t enjoy. To avoid this, you need to always remain on the hunt for something better in your career. Whether this is a promotion or a new job, it’s important to keep on rising, or you might find it hard to change in the future. Not a lot of people will take this area seriously. In reality, though, this will start before you even leave school.

Social Life

The success you find in your career and financial life will greatly depend on the support of those around you. No one can get through life completely on their own, and most people will want to have a good host of friends to keep them happy. There are no set rules to this part of your life. But, to make sure you don’t end up alone, you will need to make sure that you keep in touch with a good range of people. Having a couple of close friends is very common. Along with this, though, it can also be good to have some other friends on the outside of your main group.

Family

Friends are going to be the only people you need to give time to in your life. Along with this, most people will also want to spend a lot of time with their family, though this can be hard when you’re starting out in life. When you’re very busy, days can become weeks since you last spoke to someone you care about. In most cases, this won’t diminish your relationship, but it could leave one side of the party feeling bad about it. To avoid this, you should work hard to keep a regular routine in place with your loved ones. Not only will this keep you in contact, but it could also help you to keep a stronger bond.

Health & Mind

Finally, it’s time to think about yourself for a little bit, with your physical and mental health as your key concern. A lot of people ignore these parts of their life when they are first starting out in the world. Keeping fit and happy can seem unimportant when you’re starting an exciting career or your own business. Of course, though, it’s not worth making yourself unhealthy for your job. Instead, you should be aiming to balance these parts of your life, making them work together. This might be hard, but achieving it will make life quite a lot easier.

When you’re first getting started in life, the important things will often be put aside for your other interests. Of course, though, you can leave things like this until later on, as they have to be carefully managed throughout your life. Thankfully, you’re not alone in this challenges, and there are loads of people out there to help you.

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