The Greater the Struggle, the Greater the Victory

One of the quickest ways to shift your focus away from negativity, judgment, and disappointment is to list the things in your life for which you are grateful. Be thankful for having a paid job, sleeping in a bed every night, for the sun that rises every morning, for the waiter who greets you with a smile, for the people who love and care for you, and for a body that allows you Experience life every day. Practicing appreciation can cause an almost immediate change in your perspective. Keeping a daily gratitude journal, even digitally, can help you remember to keep the blessings of life at the forefront of your mind. Another strategy is to have a gratitude partner, someone who can support you on your journey to positive thinking. The only thing that blocks is the small ego. One sometimes wonders why this small ego, phony, false, prevents people from growing. Logically it seems very ridiculous, but existentially it is something like a small speck of dust falling into your eyes and the whole existence disappearing. Your eyes are closed, you cannot open your eyes. Those small pieces of dust have taken the whole of existence away from you. The rainbow in the clouds and the sun and the rain - all have disappeared. Logically it should not be so: that such small dust particles prevent the view of the whole sky. But in reality they do. So it is not a question of logic; The small ego functions just like a small dust particle in your vision, and it prevents you from looking at all the possibilities that are available, which have always been available. In maintaining eye contact, be careful of your aim. From time to time, you may actually want to look slightly above your boss's eye level, a body language signal that conveys subtle domination. Do not sustain this for too long a stretch, however, lest your healthy self-assertion be interpreted as arrogance. STEP 12: Before getting to the point, begin with thanks for the meeting. This is not merely common courtesy (though it is that, too);

Beginning with thanks enhances your value in her eyes. STEP 13: Review the record. Then make your pitch. YOUR SCRIPT: NEGOTIATING A RAISE Here's a raise-seeking scenario: Then I would take my lower hand and say, And I try to keep my expenses as low as possible. I keep it simple. So you can visualize and easily remember this fundamental truth in business, let's use the graphic below as a constant reminder of the importance of keeping profit high while concurrently keeping expenses low. Notice how the hands fit closely together; Making a profit is not always easy, but it is the key to creating a viable business. If your operating expenses (overhead) are too high and the revenue you generate from the business is too low, you will be out of business. Keep in mind, 50 percent of new businesses fail during the first five years. Forbes explains that the inability to nail a profitable business model with proven revenue streams is often the downfall of new ventures. Debt among nineteen-to twenty-nine-year-old Americans exceeded $1 trillion at the end of 2018, according to the New York Federal Reserve Consumer Credit Panel. Student loans make up the majority of the $1,005,000,000,000 owed, followed by mortgage debt. Here are a few little tricks I use to make a celebrity look like a celebrity. They are simple and easy, and you can do them, too! You don't necessarily have to use a full strip; I'll put them in the center of the eye for a doe-eyed look, or toward outer edges for a sexier, elongated eye. Don't be afraid to experiment with lashes, as they can look very natural but still add drama.

This makes eye color pop. Try black and charcoal for drama, or gold and silver for an extra dimension. If you're going to have your picture taken, it's really important because features tend to lose strength in photos. To do this naturally, you can use two different foundations: slightly lighter in the center, and darker around the perimeter. Blush and bronzer work to add dimension, too. This matters, so take your time to get the position right. Pimp-It-Up Tip: I always start people working with the reverse lunge, as it helps in understanding balance and control. If you feel good doing the reverse lunge, then pimp it up by trying the forward lunge. But remember: form matters. ROMANIAN DEADLIFT Keep the dumbbells really close to your body, almost as if they are drawing a line down your leg. At this stage you should feel your hamstrings scream out for mercy. Pimp-It-Up Tip: You'll be surprised by how strong you are in this exercise, so don't be afraid to go heavy on the weights--your butt will thank you. Pimp-It-Up Tip: If you can successfully hold a side plank for forty-five seconds, then work toward a leg lift, holding the top leg away from the bottom leg for as long as you can stand it. SINGLE-LEG DEADLIFT Every day, text, email, or tell her three things you are grateful for. Think of this person as your responsible partner on your path to healthy thinking. Two Steps Forward Initially, it can be difficult to stop the negative flow of thoughts. This change takes time.

Be patient with yourself, and first try to observe your thought patterns. See if you can surprise yourself by judging others, focusing on failures, complaining about work, or criticizing yourself or your body. When you look at these thoughts, take a moment to counter each negative thought with two positive remarks or gratitude. Think of it like taking two steps forward after your step back. Positive Posture Just remove that small particle from your eyes. Nothing is changing, all was always available - your eyes were just not capable of seeing it. With your humbleness great miracles are possible. Just remain humble, innocent, receptive, available, waiting for the guest to knock on your doors. Two nuns were walking through the woods one evening when they were jumped on by two men who dragged them into the bushes and began to rape them. Sister Mary, bruised and battered, looked up at the sky and began to pray softly, Forgive him Lord, for he knows not what he is doing. Sister Teresa looked over and said, That's a pity, mine does. A gorgeous blonde walked into the dentist's office and was obviously very nervous. Oh doctor, she cried, I'm so scared. You know, I think I would rather have a baby than have a tooth filled. YOU: Thanks for seeing me, Jane [if you customarily call her by her first name]. I've been with Better & Better for five years now--two years in sales, and the past three in marketing. I believe you know the quality of work I've been doing here. I mean, for example, since I took over the Lummox account, we've penetrated two major new markets and at least one new territory. And the year's not over yet!

I am confident that we'll see similar results with the Flummox account, which I've just taken on. You've given me a lot of creative freedom, and I've really been able to run with that. I've also been able to put together a terrific team: I'm supervising four people on the Lummox account, and I plan to put together a six-person team on the Flummox job, at least through start-up. It's true that I've advanced pretty rapidly here, but then, I've had to take on a lot of responsibilities on short notice. I believe that it's time for my salary to catch up to my level of achievement and responsibilities. The goal in business (simplified): sell a product for as much as you can while keeping expenses as low as possible. These numbers on debt among millennials make me passionate about encouraging and guiding you to start your own business. With a little coaching from me and persistence on your part, you can free yourself from the shackles of debt and realize your income goals. Once upon a time, starting your own business was difficult but not anymore. Like no other time in history, you have the power to employ yourself. Whether it be retail, wholesale, manufacturing, or building a service empire, the content I provide should prove useful and applicable for all business types. Let's start this article with an inspiring feel-good story. First we have to make you a believer; Note: As you read this article, if you are unsure about a word or phrase, please go to the end of this article and find the list of definitions I provide under Financial Literacy. A Punkass Feel-Good Story It's always safe to choose a pink, coral, or bronze tone. If you aren't applying blush, you should be. It will make your eyes and smile dazzle. But please, back away from the tanorexia look: You don't want it to look like you've got a tanning machine parked out back! I'll use it on the eyes or lips.