peace

Create Excitement Through Synergy and Opportunity

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

I frequently tell people there is synergy and opportunity in most everything in life. Even things you might not be very excited or motivated about. You just need the ability to recognize, create, and capitalize on it. The first step to this “recognize, create, and capitalize” process is awareness. What motivates or excites you? What do you truly value or enjoy in life? What knowledge, training, experiences, or skills might interest you or get you closer to where you long to be in life? These are some of the questions you might ask yourself when performing such an inquiry. Listen for and be open to the possibilities. Then make a list of what comes to you and listen for more possibilities. Then revise the list and listen for more  possibilities. And once you think your list is final listen once more for the possibilities and revise the list again. Then prioritize your list by placing that which you are most excited about or long for most towards the top. Eventually you will get to the point where you will no longer need a list – you will simply know these things without even having to think about them. But you can repeat this process anytime you want to open yourself up to new possibilities.


Once you gain this awareness it will be easier for you to recognize, create, and capitalize on synergies and opportunities by aligning those activities you already perform with that which you truly want for yourself. For example, someone might complain about feeling bored at work or at home. But anytime you experience periods others might describe as boring or unproductive in nature, you will recognize these as opportunities to work towards something on your  “Happiness, Interests, and Excitements” list. You can simply go down the list from the highest  priority item at the top and work your way down until you identify something which might be feasible to work towards depending on where you are and what you are doing at the time. Eventually, those periods  of boredom and unproductivity will disappear completely because you will simply think to yourself, “Oh good! Right now I have time to work towards…” (insert item from your  “Happiness, Interests, and Excitements” list). And you can make steady progress whether it’s learning a foreign language, trying out new skills or experiences, investigating potential travel destinations, learning about finance and investing, researching a new business or career, or exploring new ideas.

As another example, someone might be unhappy about all of the hours they have to work. But whenever you work extra hours you might recognize this as an opportunity to accumulate additional resources to put towards something on your  “Happiness, Interests, and Excitements” list. This additional money might come from: 1) the income earned for the extra hours worked, 2) the savings generated by not having time to spend the money earned,  or 3) a combination of these. Once the busy period expires you might be able to purchase one or more of the desired items or experiences on your list. Eventually, those periods of unhappiness will vanish completely because you will simply think to yourself, “Oh good! Working these extra hours will allow me to purchase…” (insert item from your  “Happiness, Interests, and Excitements” list).

So the above are two examples of how these ideas might be applied by taking the former “negative” perception and transforming that into something that you truly want for yourself, something you can feel good and motivated about, and something you can look forward to. Anytime you are able to transform the “negative” into something more positive you will feel happier and better about yourself and your life. So always make a concerted effort to recognize, create, and capitalize on synergies and opportunities by aligning the activities you perform with that which you truly want for yourself.

Recently, a woman I talked with was dreading the thought of having to drive to Missouri to attend an event in a rural area. After talking with her a bit more I learned that something she was excited and motivated about in life was travel. So, I suggested that perhaps she should consider the event as an opportunity to explore a few places along the way and back. She could perhaps leave a few days early and explore cities such as Memphis and spend a few days on the way back exploring other cities such as St. Louis or other places she might have interest in. She had  been so focused on the “dreaded” event that she failed to recognize the potential opportunities presented. It’s easy to lose sight of such synergies and opportunities when you heavily focus on the source of displeasure, negativity, or discontent. Many things in life are that way. So always try to broaden your perspective and transform the negative into something more positive.

Opportunities and synergies present themselves each and every day.  You just need the ability to recognize, create, and capitalize on them. So gain and maintain awareness of that which excites, motivates, and interests you and brings you happiness. And incorporate these aspects into your day to day activities as the opportunities arise. If you do this you will feel motivated and inspired and experience great happiness, fulfillment, and contentment for much of the time. So do this for yourself if you can.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness

HAPPINESS TIP: BE WHO YOU ARE NOT MATTER WHAT!

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.
Here’s a simple tip for experiencing true happiness throughout the days, weeks, years, and decades of your life: 1) Discover who you are (or keep exploring until you do), 2) Embrace and be okay with who you are, and 3) Be who you are in all of its color and glory (no matter what others think, believe, express, or attempt to convince otherwise!).
 
If you do this, you will live an authentic life filled with all of the happiness, peace, freedom, and excitement you could possibly hope for. It is YOUR life experience (and nobody else’s)! Live it that way!
 
A few years ago, a woman I met seemed a bit embarrassed about being “a geek”. Well, I told her to embrace that quality, hold her head high, and be a geek with a capital G! There’s absolutely nothing wrong with discovering who you are and being who you are. So, always remember that!
 
Another aspect of being who you are is the positive effect if can have on others. For example, people frequently tell me that I have a calming effect on them when they are in my presence. Many times, because of this people like being around me even if all we do is sit and enjoy the silence. It’s so wonderful being appreciated that way. But I wouldn’t be able to create this positive effect if I wasn’t true to myself and didn’t lead an authentic life.

Now, what some people may not understand about me is that I do a lot of things on my own and enjoy it. Although, many times I’m alone, I’m not lonely, and I’m actually happy. So, while I greatly appreciate the polite gestures I sometimes receive I’m really just being me and I’m happy being me.

For example, recently I went to the movies and was the only person there. Many people would have freaked out a little about that, but I was like, “Wow! How nice! I have the entire movie theater to myself!”.

So, find out who you are, be okay with who you are, and be who you are no matter what others think, believe, express, or attempt to convince otherwise. If you do, you will feel happy and at peace for much of the time. And you will have this peace and happiness to offer to others. So do this for yourself if you can.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness #relationships

Test Drive Before You Buy (Goals and Experiences Too!)

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

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Over the past week and a half, I took a road trip in this Mustang convertible. I went to Savannah, Hilton Head, back to Orlando, then to Georgetown SC, Myrtle Beach, and Raleigh. I then went to Charleston and Jacksonville FL before coming back home.

Driving a convertible on a lengthy road trip was something that I’ve wanted to do for years now and I finally did it. This is an illustration of something that I frequently tell people for living a happier life: Test drive before you buy – goals and experiences too! That is, see if you can find a way to simulate the experiences you think you might want before making major purchases or before investing a lot of time, effort, and resources so that you can better ensure they represent what you truly want.

For example, one of the reasons why I wanted to rent a convertible was because I had contemplated buying one and wanted to see if this might be in my future. So this provided a low cost option for trying it out first. You can test drive other experiences in a similar fashion.

For example, If you think you might like to live in San Diego, then take a couple of lengthy trips there on ordinary average days or weeks, in ordinary average locations, to see what it might be like to live there on a day-to-day or a week-to-week basis.

If you think you might enjoy not working then take a few weeks off and stay in your local area doing ordinary average things to see if this might truly appeal to you or whether you just needed a break. A number of retirees thought retirement was something they truly wanted only to find themselves feeling bored, noncontributory, and unproductive. Perhaps if they had simulated the retirement experience first they might have come to this realization and instead continued working on a part time basis, worked a different type of job, or contributed in some other fashion.

If you think you might really enjoy teaching then perhaps volunteer at a local school to see if this is something you truly want before pursuing a degree in education. You can perform similar kinds of activities for other career fields to include healthcare, business, and hospitality. Years ago I thought I might like to become a teacher so I simulated the experience by providing presentations on my work in virtual reality based research and technology at various local high schools. After spending time in the classrooms and talking to teachers I realized it was not something I would enjoy as much as I had originally imagined. I thought I would enjoy the students, but not so much the administrative and preparation work or all the time spent outside of class grading papers, projects, and tests, and supporting all of the extracurricular activities and events. I’m happy that I learned that lesson prior to investing the time, resources, and effort to make it happen.

And I’m happy that I rented the convertible for my road trip. Because I came to the realization that, although a fun vehicle to drive, it would be more of a toy I’d enjoy taking out every once in a while and not something I would want to drive all the time. So, I’d be better off by perhaps getting a used convertible, as a second car, just for fun. Another option might be to rent a three wheeler to see if that might be something I would enjoy instead.

So many people expend a substantial amount of time, effort, and resources on creating the life they think they want only to discover that it’s not what they truly want at all. Don’t do this to yourself. Always seek to test drive the goals and experiences you think you might want before making major purchases or investing a lot of time, effort, and resources to make sure that they represent your true desires. If you do this then you will live a happier, more productive life. So seek to do this often in your life.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness

Create Happiness and Abundance Through Appreciation

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

One way in which to create happiness and abundance is through appreciation; appreciation of who you are, appreciation of what you have, and appreciation of who you have in your life. The more you fill your life with appreciation the happier you will feel and the more rewarding your life will become. Three ways to achieve appreciation include thinking good, doing good, and being good.

Thinking good involves having positive thoughts towards yourself, towards others, and towards the earth/universe whether focusing on the past, present, or future.

Doing good involves making positive contributions towards others and towards your surroundings.

Being good involves having a positive disposition and a good hearted nature as well as a high level of integrity.

Filling your life with appreciation in these regards not only creates a happier you, but also creates happier surroundings and abundance throughout the days, months, and years of your life.

Consider this: Imagine that you loaned the use of your home to a house guest while you were away. When you return you find your home has been thoroughly cleaned, polished, and beautified to the extent that it is in far better condition than when you first left. In addition, you receive a card and gift thanking you for the use of your home. How wonderful would you feel and how likely would you be to help and do nice things for this person in the future? Well, the spiritual world operates in very much the same fashion whether your belief system involves God, the universe, or some other higher power or spiritual representation. The more you express genuine appreciation the more you will have in your life to be appreciative of; the spiritual world continually responding to your appreciation by blessing you with more to be appreciative of.

In my own life, I have experienced abundance through multiple channels. For example, I’ve earned an average of 37% per year in the stock market since 2010 which is a five year gain (on average) in each and every year. I have handily beat each of the stock market indices and most, if not all, fund managers and investment firms. Perhaps the success I’ve experienced to date has more to do with the universe blessing me in response towards my appreciation in my attempts to think good, do good, and be good for much of the time and less to do with my investment experience and expertise; a part time experience and expertise which pales in comparison with that of fund managers and investment companies who perform this kind of work on a regular full time basis and have done so for decades or longer. I’m not saying that what I’ve learned about financial management and investing, and the techniques and strategies I’ve developed, evolved, and employed over time, have not contributed to my success in these regards. I’m just saying that there might be something more to the picture. Thus, perhaps this appreciation concept is something worth pondering and carefully considering in your own life.

Now, one way that I express appreciation involves reducing waste through conservation and actively reusing or recycling items to the greatest extent possible. For example, I seek to minimize my use of paper, plastic, and power and actively collect recyclables as I come across them whether walking, running, or performing other day to day activities. Every time I do this, I express appreciation to the universe for all it has blessed me with in the beautiful, wonderful life that I get to enjoy each and every day. In this fashion, I am much like that appreciative house guest I mentioned earlier; creating a cleaner, more beautiful, and more sustainable planet over time in joyful appreciation of the happy life and surroundings that have been so generously loaned to me for all of my days by the most gracious of givers. And the universe continues to bless me for my appreciation.

So always remember: The more you express appreciation the more you will have in your life to be appreciative of. Not only will you feel happier just in realizing how much you presently have in your life to be thankful for and appreciative of, but you will create happier surroundings and be continually blessed in the days, months, and years to come. In addition, every time you express your appreciation you will notice more of what you have in your life to be appreciative of. And this will make you feel wonderful. So do this for yourself (and others). And do it often.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness

Arrive Happier Than When the Journey Began

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

One way in which to live a happier life is to enjoy the process of getting there instead of focusing so much on end goals or destinations. There are frequently many opportunities for enjoyment, reflection, and relaxation all along the way which people do not take advantage of because of the stresses and negativities they tend to create by focusing solely on their end goals, dreams, or destinations and the potential periodic impact to these due to life’s happenings overall.

One thing that I frequently recommend to people, regarding the process of change, is to start small by planting seeds and gently moving in the direction of the changes they desire, perhaps within ordinary day-to-day activities, and then growing from there. For example, someone who wants to become a more disciplined person overall might start out by getting into the practice of becoming more disciplined in his or her daily routine and then growing from there. Over time he or she might experience not only a disciplined routine, but disciplined spending habits, disciplined work and business practices, disciplined health and fitness activities, and a disciplined life overall.

So how might one apply such a “plant the seeds” approach towards enjoying the process instead of merely focusing on end goals or destinations? Well, one way to get into this practice might be taking an ordinary thing that you do nearly each and every day and transforming it into an opportunity for promoting positive experiences such as viewing your modes of transportation, whether by car, by bus, by plane, or by train, as places for rest, relaxation, enjoyment, and reflection instead of purely as a means for getting there. If you do this you will look forward to these moments as places where you can be alone with your thoughts and might even experience joy and smile while reflecting on the positive aspects of your life, things that you can feel good about, that which you love and appreciate, the pleasant recent happenings of your life, reminiscing about the past, doing something else enjoyable, and perhaps even daydreaming a little. If you get into the practice of doing this you will feel more positive and relaxed upon reaching your destination whether you are starting your work day, winding down from work and going home, or arriving at some other location.

When doing this try out different approaches for creating a more peaceful and enjoyable environment for traveling to and from such as the use of relaxing, inspirational, or uplifting music, humor, audiobooks, or simply silence. If you are someone who tends to be late then try getting into the practice of waking up and leaving ten minutes or so earlier. The wonderful, peaceful, enjoyable, relaxed state of mind you will experience will be well worth the small sacrifice. Alternate between each of these approaches until you find something that works well for you. Some people find one approach that works so well for them that they want to keep doing it while others prefer variations and like to switch things up. Experiment a bit and then do whatever works best for you. Simply make it your goal to feel happier and more relaxed, on a regular basis, upon reaching your destination than when you first started the journey.

Another technique which can be helpful in these regards includes imagining that someone who you love dearly is traveling with you at the time such as a pet, a child, a significant other, or a grandparent or other relative that you love and appreciate. People tend to be more patient, cautious, humble, and relaxed when traveling with those that they love and appreciate so this can be a good approach to employ from time to time. Still another technique which might be helpful in these regards is when you witness offensive behavior at times, such as someone cutting in front of you, imagining the person is someone that you greatly love and care about who might exhibit similar qualities in some situations or perhaps even imagining situations in which you might behave in a similar fashion.

These are all wonderful ways in which to make your modes of transportation more pleasant, fun, relaxing, and safe. It can give you something to look forward to each and every day and is a small way in which to “plant the seeds” for getting you more into the practice of enjoying the process; allowing you to feel happier and more relaxed upon reaching your destination than before the journey began. Start by doing this for ordinary things that you do nearly each and every day such as traveling to and from and then grow from there. Eventually you will get to the point where you focus more on enjoying the process for multiple aspects of your life, such as the journey towards your goals and dreams, instead of purely focusing on destinations or end goals. What a wonderful life we could all enjoy and share if we each lived more in this fashion.

I hope this article will inspire some of you to live a happier life. I don’t care what approach you ultimately choose to use so long as it promotes greater peace, happiness, and enjoyment both within yourself and towards others. Just choose a pleasant, happy, enjoyable one.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness

How to Create a Sense of Joy, Peace, Inspiration, and Adventure In Your Life Through Mindfulness and Intention

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

This article presents one way in which to create greater joy, peace, fun, and inspiration in your life by mindfully and intentionally slowing down a bit and moving at a patient, enjoyable, leisurely pace from time to time; creating a sense of unrestricted, childlike freedom, wonder, mystery, curiosity, exploration, interest, and adventure in the process. Can you simply let go every once in awhile, relinquish control, and be open to allowing things to unfold mysteriously, in any manner that they might, and then gently and lovingly responding accordingly to whatever happens however it happens? Some of this might involve being receptive to changes in plans, activities, and routines such as being amenable to doing different kinds of things or going to different places or locations than you usually might. Some of this might even involve doing the same kinds of activities, but being open to experiencing them differently such as modifying them a bit to make them more enjoyable, fulfilling, or inspirational in nature, processing them differently, performing them at different times, or changing routes to experience alternate perspectives. Try living your life in this fashion, from time to time, and notice how soothing, peaceful, and enjoyable it feels whenever you are able to do this.

Anytime that I operate in this manner I tell myself that it will be interesting to see what happens, interesting to see who I might come into contact with, and interesting to see how things might play out. I ponder who I might see along the way or how differently things might look or feel. So experience the release. Experience the joy. And experience the fresh, free-wheeling, free-spirited fun. Be open, fluid, and flexible, for moments at a time, knowing that any slight change or variation can introduce new experiences, new faces that you might come across, a change in scenery, and widely varied sources of inspiration if you are receptive to these. Engage your imagination and creativity, in these moments, allowing them to play a little and to run wild and free. Be observant and reflective and be childlike and playful in nature by deeply and fully experiencing the wonder, the magic, and the mystery that such moments can bring. Marvel with eyes of wonder and allow yourself to become absorbed in your surroundings, your inspiration, and in your experiences. Maintain an open, peaceful, observant, reflective, and relaxed state of mind throughout this process. Try doing this for yourself from time to time and notice how wonderful it feels. Then start mindfully and intentionally doing this a little more often in your life. Plant these seeds of change and watch them blossom into an abundance of joy, peace, fun, freedom, inspiration, and adventure in your life. Aspects which will benefit not only yourself, but also others who surround you. What a wonderful life we could all share if we lived more of our lives in this fashion instead of always moving at a stressful, hurried, painful pace the way that we so often do.

You can create and experience a wonderful life filled with all of the joy, peace, fun, freedom, inspiration, and adventure you can possibly imagine by spending more of your life moving at a patient, pleasurable, leisurely pace instead at a painful, stressful, hurried pace. So try doing this for yourself if you can. And if you need any help with this you know who to ask.

This article describes one way in which create a life full of joy, peace, fun, and inspiration in your life by slowing down a bit, from time to time, and moving at a patient, enjoyable, leisurely pace. I hope that some of you will find this article to be helpful. To date I’ve written several articles related to creating and living a happier life. Click on “Personal Improvement, Development, and Growth Related Posts” on the sidebar to the right or below (depending upon which device you are using) if you would like to read some of these other articles for helpful tips on how to create greater peace, happiness, and progress in life if you think they might be helpful to you or to others in your life.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness

For those that do not know, I perform life coaching and training services in two primary areas: 1) Personal and Professional Improvement, Development, and Growth, and 2) Financial Planning, Management, and Investing. As such, I generally alternate the articles that I write via my blogs between these two topic areas. This particular article is associated with the first area that I life coach in. So if you don’t have much interest in personal and professional improvement, development, and growth, rest assured that soon I will write an article which will be in the area that you might have greater interest in; the financial planning, management, and investing area. You can also follow me on Twitter if you like at: Joseph M Brennan Jr @ BrighterDaysLC Please contact me if you, or someone else in your life, could use some assistance with either of the two primary areas that I actively perform life coaching in. You can learn more about each of these areas by clicking on the menu, footer, and sidebar items.

 

Joseph M. Brennan Jr.
CEO/Life Coach – Brighter Days Life Coaching
“Your Brighter Days Life Coach for Life”

6-27-2013BrennanPhotos-Main1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make a Bad Day Better
Make a Good Day Better
Create a Brighter Life

 

Creating A Life Full Of Passion, Purpose, Fun, And Fulfillment

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

This article describes one way in which to create a life full of passion, purpose, fun, and fulfillment: Beginning with the end in mind. That’s right. Imagine that you are at the end of your life looking back. What life would you have wanted to live? What person would you have wanted to become? What influences would you have wanted to have? What contributions would you have wanted to make? What experiences would you have wanted to have? What relationships would you have wanted to share? What world would you have wanted to create and leave behind? Yes. The important life questions become much more apparent when you begin with the end in mind. Reflecting on your life in this fashion can influence you to initiate the changes needed, starting from where you are today, in order to realize some of these other aspects over time. You may not be able to do them all, but by balancing your greatest desires with the amount of time and effort it might potentially take to achieve each of these a sense of priority can become more apparent.

Some people prefer to contribute in the more micro sense via their personal relationships, families, friends, and local communities. Some people prefer to contribute in the more macro sense via humanity, nature, and the world. Some people prefer to contribute in a combined sense by doing a little of each. For example, in the micro sense, you might strongly desire having a family and nurturing the growth of your children. If this is the case, then you might contribute more to the current relationship that you have if it’s going well or, if you are single, then you might perform activities which are more social in nature, date more regularly, and/or create opportunities for performing the interests that you have in more social environments to create greater opportunities to meet that special someone. In the macro sense, you might decide to work towards a career which directly supports the macro aspects that you greatly desire to support, start performing volunteer work, and/or support various causes. In the combined sense, you might decide to perform a little of each of these aspects and/or focus on becoming the person you most desire to become in support of your most desired micro and/or macro life contributions. For each of these cases keep in mind, however, that your desires can change over time so it’s helpful to repeat your “end of life” evaluation from time to time and to make adjustments accordingly. For example, someone might strongly desire to contribute to the growth and development of his or her children during one stage of life, but once the children have gotten older or left home, strongly desire to contribute in other ways.

By reflecting on these “end of life contribution” desires and creating a life in accordance with these you will avoid the emptiness you might feel later in life should you ask yourself the haunting question: “What did I do with my life?” I’ve thought about such questions often in my life. Questions which have influenced me to: (1) write and publish poetry earlier in my life, (2) develop the books, training seminars, and articles that I currently develop as well as the life coaching services that I regularly perform, and (3) live ever mindfully out of kindness and respect for all living and breathing beings both in the world of today and in the world of tomorrow. Some of my “end of life” desires include offering inspiration, hope, joy, optimism, comfort, and confidence to others such that they live happier lives. Hopefully, the work that I am presently performing offer these aspects to you and to others in your life. Writing is probably my most preferred form of communication, because written works have frequently continued to offer such contributions long after a life has ended. So many books that I have read from departed authors have still influenced me today.

You can create and experience a wonderful life filled with all of the passion, purpose, fun, and fulfillment you can possibly imagine by putting more of your energy towards creating a life which reflects your greatest desires and less energy towards those aspects which do not. So try doing this for yourself if you can. And if you need any assistance with this you know who to ask.

This article describes one way in which create a life of passion, purpose, fun, and fulfillment, by starting with the end in mind, such that you put more energy towards creating a life which reflects your greatest desires and less energy towards those aspects which do not. I hope that some of you will find this article to be helpful. To date I’ve written several articles related to creating and living a happier life. Click on “Personal Improvement, Development, and Growth Related Posts” on the sidebar to the right or below (depending upon which device you are using) if you would like to read some of these other articles for helpful tips on how to create greater peace, happiness, and progress in life if you think they might be helpful to you or to others in your life.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness

For those that do not know, I perform life coaching and training services in two primary areas: 1) Personal and Professional Improvement, Development, and Growth, and 2) Financial Planning, Management, and Investing. As such, I generally alternate the articles that I write via my blogs between these two topic areas. This particular article is associated with the first area that I life coach in. So if you don’t have much interest in personal and professional improvement, development, and growth, rest assured that soon I will write an article which will be in the area that you might have greater interest in; the financial planning, management, and investing area. You can also follow me on Twitter if you like at: Joseph M Brennan Jr @ BrighterDaysLC

Please contact me if you, or someone else in your life, could use some assistance with either of the two primary areas that I actively perform life coaching in. You can learn more about each of these areas by clicking on the menu, footer, and sidebar items.

 

Joseph M. Brennan Jr.
CEO/Life Coach – Brighter Days Life Coaching
“Your Brighter Days Life Coach for Life”

6-27-2013BrennanPhotos-Main1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make a Bad Day Better
Make a Good Day Better
Create a Brighter Life

 

Balance the Heart and Mind in Relationship Situations

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Selena Gomez once had a catchy song called “The Heart Wants What It Wants” and while I believe that, melodically speaking, it is one of her better songs, lyrically speaking, I would encourage you to think twice before living in this fashion. Too many people solely “listen to their hearts” when they are in negative relationship situations and wonder why they feel so miserable for so much of their lives. It’s okay to listen to your heart so long as you balance this out, from time to time, with thought, logic, and reason. In other words, feel free to follow your heart to some degree but keep your eyes open and put some thought into, and reflect upon, your personal relationship situation from time to time in addition to this.

A good thing to do in this regard is getting yourself into a quiet place and mindfully evaluating your personal relationship situation every once in a while to determine whether it is moving in a more positive direction or in a more negative direction. If the former, then feel free to crank up the volume of your heart and follow it intently – at least until that period of time when you decide to mindfully re-evaluate your relationship situation – because in situations where your personal relationship is strongly positive, it probably makes more sense to turn down the volume on thought, logic, and reason to ensure you do not over think the situation and create issues which are non-existent in nature while turning up the volume on a heart filled with love and desire. If the latter, then it would probably be best to turn down the volume of your heart and turn up the volume on thought, logic, and reason – at least until that period of time when things significantly improve (if ever).In some cases, you might be able to mindfully take actions to improve the relationship situation, while in others the relationship might continue moving in a negative direction due to aspects beyond your control.

In situations where your personal relationship becomes strongly negative, it probably makes sense to listen intently to what your mind and other indicators are telling you and turn down the volume on a heart which might otherwise convince you to remain in a negative – or perhaps even a detrimental – personal relationship situation for a lengthy period of time. Don’t do this to yourself.

Each of these situations essentially involves the same process: getting yourself into a quiet place, taking some time to mindfully evaluate your personal relationship situation, and taking actions which are consistent with the results of this evaluation – perhaps, turning up the volume of the heart and turning down the volume of thought, logic, and reason when things are strongly positive, doing the opposite when things are strongly negative, and doing something in between when things are neither strongly positive nor strongly negative. You can create and experience a wonderful life filled with all of the love and happiness you can possibly imagine by putting your energy into personal relationships which are positive in nature and distancing yourself from those that are negative in nature. So try doing this for yourself if you can.

Selena Gomez’s heart might “want what it wants” but living in this fashion can create a life full of misery unless you happen to be in a personal relationship which is positive in nature. So, evaluate your relationship from time to time. And if you need any assistance with this you know who to ask.

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness

This article describes one way in which to balance the heart’s desires with thought, logic, and reason such that you put more energy towards personal relationship situations which are more positive in nature while distancing yourself from those that are more negative in nature. I hope that some of you who are experiencing similar kinds of challenges will find this article to be helpful. To date I’ve written several articles related to creating and living a happier life. Click on “Personal Improvement, Development, and Growth Related Posts” on the sidebar to the right or below (depending upon which device you are using) if you would like to read some of these other articles for helpful tips on how to create greater peace, happiness, and progress in life if you think they might be helpful to you or to others in your life.

For those that do not know, I perform life coaching and training services in two primary areas: 1) Personal and Professional Improvement, Development, and Growth, and 2) Financial Planning, Management, and Investing. As such, I generally alternate the articles that I write via my blogs between these two topic areas. This particular article is associated with the first area that I life coach in. So if you don’t have much interest in personal and professional improvement, development, and growth, rest assured that soon I will write an article which will be in the area that you might have greater interest in; the financial planning, management, and investing area. You can also follow me on Twitter if you like at: Joseph M Brennan Jr @ BrighterDaysLC

Please contact me if you, or someone else in your life, could use some assistance with either of the two primary areas that I actively perform life coaching in. You can learn more about each of these areas by clicking on the menu, footer, and sidebar items.

Joseph M. Brennan Jr.
CEO/Life Coach – Brighter Days Life Coaching
“Your Brighter Days Life Coach for Life”

6-27-2013BrennanPhotos-Main1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make a Bad Day Better
Make a Good Day Better
Create a Brighter Life

 

Achieve Greater Peace and Happiness By Breaking the Negative Thinking Cycle

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Breaking the negative thinking cycle is one of the more significant contributers to the levels of happiness – or unhappiness for that matter – that people experience throughout their entire lives. So, anything we do to improve in this regard can be helpful for not only ourselves but also others who surround us.

For example, one of the primary reasons people suffer from low self-esteem is because they treat themselves unkindly. The first step for improving in this regard involves becoming more mindfully aware of when you are treating yourself unkindly instead of mindlessly continuing to engage in these activities. Often, negative experiences result from mindlessly and repeatedly treating ourselves unkindly via thoughts, words, and actions. So, a good way to challenge this tendency is becoming more mindfully aware of when we are treating ourselves unkindly – at least for part of the time (step 1 of the process).

You might tell yourself something like, “There it is… I did it again…”, when catching yourself and remind yourself something like, “I’m not doing this to myself anymore… I am now treating myself more kindly”, and then release the original negative thought. Every time you are successful in doing this, you will break the negative cycle. Every time you break the negative cycle, you will improve the way you feel. Eventually, you will get to the point that, in addition to performing step 1 of this process, you will reconsider the original self-directed negative thought and transform it into something more positive (step 2 of the process).

Often, people suffering from these kinds of issues use negative labels and generalizations against themselves such as “stupid”, “failure”, “loser”, etc. So, someone might innocently forget where he placed his keys and tell himself something like, “I’m so stupid”, but after performing step 1 of this process become aware that, in that moment, he is treating himself unkindly and then gently release the negative thought. Ideally, he would then perform step 2 of the process and reconsider the thought, “I am so stupid” , and upon further reflection realize, “Wait a minute, I’m not stupid. I just misplaced my keys. Sometimes, I get a little sidetracked but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid.” Transforming the original self-directed negative thought into something more positive.

I have frequently met people who seemingly, jokingly use negative words against themselves such as “stupid” or “loser”. When I encounter such situations, I often gently try to guide them away from the use of such words with the realization that the self-directed negative words expressed verbally are probably a very small subset of all of such self-directed negative words they routinely engaged in internally. Even if these words are used – on some occasions – truly in a joking manner, often people begin to believe the things they tell themselves over time. Especially, if they happen in a repetitive fashion. So, I always try to help people gain this awareness so they at least have the opportunity to break the negative cycle if they choose to.

Every time you become more mindfully aware and break the negative cycle, you will feel better about yourself. And this MINDFUL AWARENESS => BREAK THE NEGATIVE CYCLE process can continue from hour-to-hour to week-to-week to month-to-month. If you keep going through this process, you will eventually get to the point where you will treat yourself kindly – instead of unkindly – for much of the time. And this will allow you to love yourself more. And this will make you feel wonderful. And this will create greater joy both within yourself and within your surroundings. How much joy can you stand? You will soon find out once you begin to improve in these regards. So, do this for yourself if you can.

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness

 

Joseph M. Brennan Jr.
CEO/Life Coach – Brighter Days Life Coaching
“Your Brighter Days Life Coach for Life”

6-27-2013BrennanPhotos-Main1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make a Bad Day Better
Make a Good Day Better
Create a Brighter Life

 

Optimism and the Power of Positive Thinking

Posted on by Joseph M. Brennan Jr.

Over the past week or so I caught my first flu in about ten years or so, but I did not mind, because, if nothing else, it provided me with the splendid opportunity to write this article on optimism and the power of positive thinking. Now, many people I know who get ill agonize over their symptoms, go to the doctor, take several medications, and spend much of their time complaining about how horrible they feel or how much they are not getting done or missing out on. However, what I tend to do is to look forward to the end result: I look at illness as the way the body sheds itself of its weakest cells, cleanses itself, and revitalizes itself with new, fresh cells. I look at illness as a short term pain for a long term gain in terms of greater health. The only medications I took over this past week was some aspirin for the occasional headache and some Flonase for my cold like symptoms. I then proceeded to appreciate how wonderful it was that I had a nice, cozy, comfortable bed to crawl into, fresh filtered water available at my fingertips, and pampered myself by making a variety of Amy’s vegan soups and making toast covered in olive oil which I used to dip into these soups (my favorite food when I am ill – so wonderful!). I didn’t worry about chores or timelines or schedules or anything else. If I felt like sleeping or just lying around in bed I did just that. If I felt like watching a show or a movie I did that. And it I felt like listening to music I did that. And every time that I did something I smiled and reminded myself of how fortunate I was to have all of this available to me while patiently waiting for my body to recover. Because so many others do not have these things so readily available to them. And each and every day I started feeling a little better.

Now, I’m not suggesting that people should not see doctors or take medications. In fact, I might have done both if things continued progressing in a negative direction by the end of the week. I just like to give the body ample time to cleanse itself naturally before resorting to such measures, and if, after that period of time passes, things do not improve then I consider these other options. But, this is all beside the point. Through optimism and positive thinking not only did I suffer less throughout my period of illness, but it is likely that I recovered more quickly than someone who might have been less positive and optimistic. This particular example is about illness, however, this is also true for other aspects of life as well. People that tend to be optimistic and positive minded in nature perform better and make greater progress in life even when faced with significant challenges.

Most people who know me know that I tend to be very positive minded and optimistic in nature and perhaps even a bit overly optimistic at times. I embrace these aspects, because positive thinking can have a profound effect on your life. Every year for new years I generally tell people that we are going to have the “best year ever!”. Now, why do I do that? Because it really doesn’t matter. Things will usually play out the way that they do in life no matter how we feel so why not choose to feel good? Not only will you feel happier, but you will suffer less from stress and anxiety, you will create warmer surroundings for both you and others to enjoy, others will enjoy being in your presence and feel more at ease, and life will continue to be a wonderful, beautiful adventure. In addition,the more positive and optimistic you are, and the better you feel, the more resilient you become in dealing with life’s difficulties. Things just do not seem to be so bad and you have a greater confidence and belief in your abilities to overcome these challenges. Furthermore, you will view these difficulties as being more temporary in nature. So always try to think positive, and to be optimistic, for the benefit of yourself and for the benefit of those who surround you. Because it truly doesn’t matter… Or perhaps, more importantly, it does!

I hope this article helps some of you out there who struggle with similar challenges and I wish you all a wonderful holiday season filled with all of the love, joy, and warmth you can possibly imagine!

This and other happiness and self-improvement related tips are provided throughout my self-help oriented books: https://brighterdayslifecoaching.com/published-books-and-life-coaching-services/ 

#selfimprovement #selfhelp #selfdevelopment #intention #fulfillment #success #inspiration #happiness

This article describes one way in which to become more optimistic and positive minded in nature such that you can experience greater peace and happiness. I encourage you to make it your goal to become more optimistic and positive minded in your own life; not only for the benefit of yourself, but for the benefit of others who surround you. It truly works wonders for me. To date I’ve written several articles related to creating and living a happier life. Click on “Personal Improvement, Development, and Growth Related Posts” on the sidebar to the right or below (depending upon which device you are using) if you would like to read some of these other articles for helpful tips on how to create greater peace, happiness, and progress in life if you think they might be helpful to you or to others in your life.

For those that do not know, I perform life coaching and training services in two primary areas: 1) Personal and Professional Improvement, Development, and Growth, and 2) Financial Planning, Management, and Investing. As such, I generally alternate the articles that I write via my blogs between these two topic areas. This particular article is associated with the first area that I life coach in. So if you don’t have much interest in personal and professional improvement, development, and growth, rest assured that soon I will write an article which will be in the area that you might have greater interest in; the financial planning, management, and investing area. You can also follow me on Twitter if you like at: Joseph M Brennan Jr @ BrighterDaysLC

Please contact me if you, or someone else in your life, could use some assistance with either of the two primary areas that I actively perform life coaching in. You can learn more about each of these areas by clicking on the menu, footer, and sidebar items.

Joseph M. Brennan Jr.
CEO/Life Coach – Brighter Days Life Coaching
“Your Brighter Days Life Coach for Life”

6-27-2013BrennanPhotos-Main1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make a Bad Day Better
Make a Good Day Better
Create a Brighter Life