The Struggles Of Our Life

Inspirational short stories with lessons - How to advance through adversity

Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it.

She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.

Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter.

The daughter moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After twenty minutes he turned off the burners.

He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup.

Turning to her, he asked. “Daughter, what do you see?”

“Potatoes, eggs and coffee,” she quickly replied.

“Look closer,” he said, “and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft.

He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich flavour brought a smile to her face.

“Father, what does this mean?” she asked.

He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity (the boiling water). However, each one reacted differently. The potato went in strong, hard and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak.

The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.

However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.

“Which one are you?” he asked his daughter.

“When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

Lessons from the story:

1. In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is how you choose to react to it and what you make out of it.

2. Life is all about learning, adapting and transforming all the struggles that we experience into something positive.

HOW TO ADVANCE THROUGH ADVERSITY

Challenges are bound to occur in our journey through life. You must be aware that no difficulty is permanent. For you to advance in times of adversity, you need to develop the willpower not to give up. That is the assured way to overcome, if you don't give up, you will define win.

9 STEPS TO OVERCOME ADVERSITY

When adversity occurs in an individual's life, most people tend to look for the escape route. Withdrawing from adversity is not the best step to take. Whenever disaster struck against any individual, all he/she will want to do is to find an escape and avoid the disaster. Such a response to adversity shows that the individual is weak or has not developed personally.

There are two responses to adversity

1. The first one is to exclaim, "Life is so terrible" or "why me Lord?" and most times weak individuals will say "but you don't understand what I am going through." The issue of adversity is a personal one, and that is why many feel their situation is worse than anyone else's.

2. The second one is to think positively "if I can't pay the price, then I don't deserve the prize". And then such individuals position the mind to find the perfect solution to such a situation.

We may feel like a situation is too terrible and there is no solution to it but that is not true. There are ways we can approach unavoidable situations in our life. You must refuse to be discouraged. Below are the steps to overcoming adversity:

1. SPEAK POSITIVELY TO YOUR SITUATION

Each time the fear of failing grabs you, speak positive words aloud to that situation. Here are some positive affirmations to repeat regularly:

" all is well"

"I will conquer"

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength"

"This is not the end of my life"

" I am unstoppable"

"I shall not grow weary" "I am unstoppable" 

2. SELF MOTIVATION

At times, we become overwhelmed by the issues we face every day. And when stress is becoming much, it leads to depression. And to avoid breaking down in this situation, you have to brace up and encourage yourself. Take a look at the goals you set that gives you hope. Colourfully view the future and encourage yourself with what you can accomplish. It is not a bad thing to fall, you only need to get up and start moving again when you fall.

3. THINK OUT OF THE BOX

If you address the situation with an emotional state, it will keep getting worse. That is why you need to detach yourself from the situation first and then you can think of the way out. You will agree with me that it is easier to show how somebody else can change the situation they are in. You can spot the ways they can get out of a situation in which they found themselves since you are not emotionally attached to the situation, and it is easier to look at the problem from a different and better perspective.

This doesn't mean that you should throw away the box. You don't need to throw away the box, you only need to think out of it. To overcome adversity in your life, detach yourself from the situation and look at it from a different perspective. Treat it as another man's case and you will find a solution to the problem.

4. FIND OUT THE CAUSE

Most times, the hardship or problems we find ourselves in are the outcomes of our past actions. If you can investigate the source of the crisis, it will help you to get the right solution to the problem.  Because to change your situation, you need to change your thought and actions, Henry Ford said 'If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got.' Wrong decisions are part of the cause of adversity in our life. You must try to figure out the cause of the problem and Look into how to change that situation. Find a way to face and surpass the challenges that are holding you back from success. Never blame other people, the system, or the government for your misfortune.

5. DEVELOP RESILIENCE

Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. It refers to the ability to withstand adversity and bounce back from difficult life events. Being resilient does not mean you won't experience stress, emotional upheaval, and suffering. Being able to recover readily from misfortune, tragedy, setback, or any other form of adversity. You need to be willing to try again after every fall. Instead of thinking of quitting, map out the plan of how to get back on track.

"I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”

― Maya Angelou

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

― Thomas Edison

6. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE

Words from other people can affect the way we see situations. If all you got around you are people who always see doom in every circumstance, it will affect your progress, it will either prevent you from moving forward or reduce your ability, making the situation look harder.

But to save yourself, never move with people who always see impossibilities in every situation.

"Resilience isn’t a single skill. It’s a variety of skills and coping mechanisms. To bounce back from bumps in the road as well as failures, you should focus on emphasizing the positive.” 

― Jean Chatzky

7. INVEST IN YOURSELF

This sounds like a proverb, right? You may be asking that what do I mean by invest in yourself? Investing in yourself is all about spending as little or as much money to develop yourself. 

It is the ability to gather enough information about ways you can move from point A to point B and finally reach your goal. You will surely overcome adversity if you can develop yourself for the result you desired. Here are ways you can invest in yourself:

• Discover yourself.
• Read good books.
• Read blog posts that deals with what you intend to improve on.
• Develop new skills.
• Never stop learning (That is the number one key to success, however, learn only things that are important to your journey)

8. LINK UP WITH SUCCESS

Adversity is a barrier to success, and the only way you can scale through is to find the 'ladder' or 'bridge' that will help you get to your dream. BELIEVING IN YOUR ABILITY is one of the bridges, having FOCUS is one of them, setting and accomplishing GOALS, making the right CHOICES, can be the bridge you needed.

When limits are broken, adversity vanishes. This means that when you can link up with success with the right ladder, you won't fall.

9. FIND A MENTOR

There are key steps to finding the right mentor. You need a mentor especially for rapid growth in your career/ business. A mentor will guide, motivate and even share experiences with you. The importance can never be overemphasized.

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SILENCED!

 SILENCED!

Inspirational Short Stories with lessons - How to overcome the fear of threats and break free of danger.

"Would you keep quiet you silly brat!", he yelled at me. 

I kept struggling, kicking and cursing under my breath.

Irritated by my defence mechanisms, he silenced me with a thunderous slap. I felt intense pains on my cheeks but they were nothing compared to the pains I felt in between my thighs.

He forced himself into me amidst curses. It was more painful than the rest of the days. Perhaps that was my punishment for putting up a defence.

"When would all this end?", I wept silently as he made animalistic noises.

"If someone else gets to know about this,  I would kill you. Don't even try telling your mum unless you want her dead", he warned as he zipped up his pants.

I spat at him.

"Animal! I hate you".

He grinned and whistled as he left the room.

I had so much hatred for him. I wished I could kill him. 

Mum, an American-trained barrister would come home to see my eyes swollen due to prolonged weeping. She would probe me to open up to her but his threats kept me mute.

I just wished she would figure out that her husband, my step-dad has been forcing me into immoral acts with him.

"Christy, please talk to me. Why are you sad?", Mum would ask but I couldn't say a word.

Deep down I wanted to be free from his shackles, molestations and abuses yet I couldn't say a word to voice out my pain.

His threats were like a pin fastened to my throat. It seemed like my mouth was masked up with steel tape.

I needed salvation from my step dad's torment yet I couldn't voice out my pain.

Not until I made a decision...

That night he came to me as usual with his ropes ready to bind my hands so I wouldn't hinder the penetration.

I was prepared for him. I took out my knives from the pillow and threatened to cut him in bits.

We had struggled with the knives until his manly strength overpowered mine. He had his way into me. I sustained bruises and knife cuts due to our struggle.

That midnight, I banged on the door to mum's room. She was surprised to see me half-naked as I walked into the room.

 

"Christy! What is the matter with you?"

I looked at the devil in his pyjamas sleeping comfortably on the king-sized bed and I felt like using a knife to cut off his manly organ, roast it as meat and serve it to him as a meal.

"Christy talk to me", mum shouted.

I showed her the cuts on my body, the severe injuries in between my thighs and so many more.

She screamed in fright. 

"Who did this to my daughter?"

And I told her everything.

Artwork by ParentCo

She woke him up with a slap on his face. The beast was surprised to see my mum & I shedding tears. He saw my unclad body with all bruises visible. And then he knew the river has overflown.

He was arrested that midnight and beaten mercilessly by the human rights officials. Later on, he was prosecuted and given a life sentence.

Hmm...

That was how I got my freedom. I got tired of being silenced and I voiced out.

Many of us are like me.  We find ourselves in terrible pains, situations and challenges. We cry and crave for salvation yet we never open our mouth to tell our problems to God. We expect him to see our pains and troubles and come to our aid.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; to him that knocketh it shall be opened Matthew 7:7-8 

Story Written by Julius Favour Vivian

Lessons from the story

1. Never keep mute when you are cheated. Most threats are fake, it is just to keep the victim mute.

2. If you don't ask for something, you may not receive it.

How to overcome the fear of threats and break free of danger.

Threats of violence can have serious impacts on your mental health. Some of the issues it creates include anxiety, fear, self-blame and lack of concentration. When you are vulnerable to danger, you may also experience physical issues like dizziness, nausea, loss of appetite, headaches, chest pains,

 and sleeplessness.

Threats can be in different forms, and each requires a different approach. You’ll often need to quickly evaluate the situation so you can determine how serious the threat is and the best way to address the issue. Any kind of threat is illegal, especially if it involves physical harm just like the story above.

Threats can either be credible or non-credible.

Credible Threat

This kind of threat is true, serious, and real. The person has the ability to carry out the threat if the victim finally discloses the matter.

Non-credible Threat

This kind of threat is not real, the person just wants to enslave the victim so as not to disclose the matter. Just like an illusion, it is false evidence appearing real.

When you are threatened by an individual close to you or even by a stranger, the way you react can vary from becoming aggressive to feeling fearful and unsure of what to do next. Be informed that the way you handle the issue can have a dangerous impact on your life.

Source: gettyimages

Here are steps you need to take whenever you want to break free of threat or you  found yourself in this kind of situation.

What To Do When Someone Threatens you

Stay calm whenever you’re dealing with a threat. When there is a problem,  it is easy to say things you shouldn’t.  and the last thing you want to do is create an evidence trail that could put some of the blame on you. Take it seriously but do not threaten back. Also, be very careful of putting any type of response in form of writing to the person.

Always think before you act, Avoid all things that can have severe, long-term consequences on you or those that are on your side.

Source: pexels

1.Have faith and believe that you will conquer

The way you see yourself in such a situation matters a lot. If you feel defeated within you, there is a problem. But if you can cheer yourself up that God will save you through an individual, you are on your way out of such a predicament. The more you allow fear to occupy your mind, the more difficult such situation will look like. Most threat based on assault is like a shield for the culprit to keep the victim mute and protect himself from punishment or loss of dignity.

2. Gather And Retain All evidence

Firm evidence is needed in this situation. To make it easier to get out of it and for people to believe you, make sure you hold onto all evidence From the moment the threat arises.

Things like messages, screenshots, and record of telephone conversation will be helpful if you need to take legal or civil action. If it happens to be a physical one, you may record the voice of such an individual if you got the opportunity to do so.

3. Tell Someone you trust

Make sure you talk to someone capable about what’s going on. Never deal with a threat on your own. Let he/she be aware of the person who is threatening you and show such person the evidence you have gathered. This should be done wisely. Once you are courageous enough to explain what has happened to someone without the knowledge of the individual who abused you, then you are at a higher edge to overcome the situation.

4. Make Peace 

If you feel the threat is a non-credible one, you may want to reach out to the person who is threatening you. See if you can resolve the issue amicably However, in many cases, this can make things worse. If you decide to take this approach, be cautious so that that step won't exacerbate the situation. Some threats can never be settled amicably due to the situation behind them.

Source: pexels

5. Take a Legal Action

But if the case is a severe one, that is a credible threat. It’s very important and highly recommend to take such threat seriously and do what you need to be on the safer side. If someone threatens you, do your best to remain calm and shrewdly report the case to the police or other law enforcement body dealing with such kind of issues.

Most times, the culprit may be arrested and such individual faces assault charges. This is usually a non-indictable offence, but if it’s serious, it could result in a jail term.

Be informed that some are threats are only empty threats and you only need to take courage and voice out to overcome the fear caused by that threat.

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The Young Female Reporter

The Young Female Reporter

Inspirational short stories with lessons; How to achieve your aim and desires

Source: Pexels

In 1995, I granted an interview with a newspaper in Singapore. The young female reporter was on time, and the interview got underway immediately. We sat in the lobby of a luxurious hotel, sipping coffee and discussing the purpose of my visit to Singapore. I was to share the platform with Zig Ziglar. He was speaking on motivation, and I was speaking on "The Secrets of the Rich."

"Someday, I would like to be a best-selling author like you," she said.

I had seen some of the articles she had written for the paper, and I was impressed. She had a tough, clear style of writing. Her articles held a reader's interest. "You have a great style," I said in reply.  "What holds you back from achieving your dream?"

"My work does not seem to go anywhere," she said quietly. "Everyone says that my novels are excellent, but nothing happens.  So I keep my job with the paper. At least it pays the bills. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Yes, I do," I said brightly.  "A friend of mine here in Singapore runs a school that trains people to sell. He runs sales-training courses for many of the top corporations here in Singapore, and I think attending one of his courses would greatly enhance your career."

She stiffened.  "Are you saying I should go to school to learn to sell?"

I nodded.

"You aren't serious, are you?"

Again, I nodded.  "What is wrong with that?" I was now back peddling. She was offended by something, and now I was wishing 11 had not said anything. In my attempt to be helpful, I found myself defending my suggestion.

"I have a master's degree in English Literature. Why would I go to school to learn to be a salesperson? I am a professional. I went to school to be trained in a profession so I would not have to be a salesperson. I hate salespeople. All they want is money. So tell me why| I should study sales?" She was now packing her briefcase forcibly. The interview was over.

On the coffee table sat a copy of an earlier best-selling book I wrote. I picked it up as well as the notes she had jotted down on her legal pad. "Do you see this?" I said pointing to her notes.

Source: Unsplash

She looked down at her notes.  "What," she said, confused.

Again, I pointed deliberately to her notes.  On her pad, she had written "Robert Kiyosaki, best-selling author." "It says 'best-selling author,' not best 'writing' author." Her eyes widened immediately.

"I am a terrible writer. You are a great writer. I went to sales school. You have a master's degree. Put them together and you get a 'best-selling author' and a 'best-writing author."

Anger flared from her eyes. "I'll never stoop so low as to learn how to sell. People like you have no business writing. I am a professionally trained writer and you are a salesman. It is not fair."

The rest of her notes were put away, and she hurried out through the large glass doors into the humid Singapore morning. 

At least she gave me a fair and favourable write-up the next morning.

As narrated by Robert T. Kiyosaki (Author of Rich Dad Poor Dad)

Brief Biography: Robert Toru Kiyosaki (born April 8, 1947) is an American businessman and author. Kiyosaki is the founder of Rich Global LLC and the Rich Dad Company, a private financial education company that provides personal finance and business education to people through books and videos.

Lessons from the story

1. Be open to learning

2. Don't be offended by good advice, rather think about the lessons

3. Great talent is not enough, learn as much as you can.

How to achieve your aim, goals, and desires

Source: Unsplash

Everything in life is all about the decision. If you win, it is as a result of your decision. And if you lose, it is the outcome of your decisions as well. Read on How-to- be-more_productive

1. Be teachable: If you want to be successful, you must keep growing. The best way to achieve your aim is to make yourself a continual learner. ''It is what you learn after you know it all that counts" ___John Wooden 
2. Build a great interest in learning things that will help you achieve your aims: Learning is not an activity that has a climax, it Is a lifelong pursuit. Your ego is the first thing you need to deal with if you ever want to be teachable. Feeling superior will never help matters because there is a thing you can learn from everyone whether young or old. Pride leads to a loss of desire to learn and an unwillingness to change. Pride often makes a person unteachable. And if you ever want to accomplish your aim, you must become teachable. Learn to listen to instructions, listen more than you talk. Listen openly for the truth, do not act defensive when criticized. never skip the learning process. 
3. Be disciplined: Discipline can be defined as making yourself do something when you could be doing something more pleasant. Start by taking small activities to make things better. Then you can be increasing the speed as you go on. Do the things that hurt you less, so as not to feel discouraged at first. Push yourself into discomfort a little bit, so you can get better at this over time.

   

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4. Develop the habit of following decisions promptly: Don't try to back up your mistakes with a formidable array of excuses. A disciplined person won't neglect any issue that needs attention. "Discipline is doing what you really don't want to do so you can do what you really want to do." ___Jeff Fisher

   

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5. Work on your mindset: Make personal development a priority for yourself. This may take a little time because every individual is a product of nature and nurture. The beliefs and notions that every individual grew up with will surely affect the mindset. Your hands will only reach the things that you believe is possible. Doubts and false ideas can prevent anyone from achieving his aim. 

   

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6. Look at issues with a positive perception: Don't be an agent of doom. Instead of talking about why it cannot be done, think of ways it can be done. Your mind is the greatest tool that can help you achieve your aim. Work more on feeding it with information that will make it grow from a chicken mindset to a lion's mindset. Picture whatever you want in your mind and back it up with steadfast faith. The first determinant of your success is the mind. Once you can overcome the negative of your desire, you are 99% to getting it.
7. Be hungry for more: The greatest threat to being all you could be is satisfaction with who you are. Back to the story above, the young female reporter said "...so I keep my job with the paper, at least it pays the bills." It shows clearly that her desire to become a bestselling author didn't consume her. She just wants to play it safe. Although she was a great writer she lacks the right things to move to the next stage. She said, "everyone says that my novels are ex excellent, but nothing happens." If she wants something to happen, she must have a burning desire to achieve her aim. And if you have previous achievements, don't rely on your laurels. "Do not fear failure but rather fear not trying" ___Roy T. Bennett

   

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8. Be specific: Let your aim or goals be clear. Don't say, "I just want to make it." Pinpoint the exact thing you want. The goal statement should indicate what should be accomplished. It should be phrased using action words like "sell," "save, " "create," "build," "implement,"). If the goal is measurable and specific, you can determine if you have accomplished it. If the goal is accomplished, the project is a success. Suppose your objective is to raise capital for your proposed business. An example of a specific goal to help you meet this objective is: "I will save 240 dollars in two months by saving 4 dollars every day for 60 days.
9. Have a definite plan and deadline: You need to map out the exact way you want to do it. The step by step guides should be written down. And most importantly, create a deadline for that plan. Procrastination is one of the greatest causes of failure. Most times, it is not a lack of knowledge or skill that causes disappointment. It is a lack of focus and inability to make a prompt decision.

   

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10. Persist: It is pertinent to understand that despite your great courage and hard work, you may need to 'refire.' The exact result you desire may not appear immediately. That should never be an excuse to stop shaking the tree of life. Persist and you will surely get down the fruit unheard of. If you keep trying, you will learn, grow and as well be whatever you want to be. If Micheal Jordan had stopped at the sight of failure when he first attempts basketball, He won't be noticed or ever called a great basketball player. He said;

"I can accept failure, everyone fails at something but I cannot accept not trying" ___Micheal Jordan

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The tricky Donkey

The Tricky Donkey

Inspirational Short Stories with lessons: How to improve and grow personally to be more productive

A salt seller used to carry the salt bag on his donkey to the market every day. There was a stream they have to cross on the way to the market.

One day, the donkey suddenly tumbled down the stream and the salt bag also fell into the water. The salt dissolved in the water and hence the bag became very light to carry. The donkey was happy.

Then the donkey started to play the same trick every day.

The salt seller came to understand the trick and decided to teach the donkey a lesson. The next day instead of salt, he loaded a cotton bag on the donkey.

Again it played the same trick hoping that the cotton bag would become more lighter.

But the dampened cotton became very heavy to carry and the donkey suffered. It learnt a lesson and didn’t play the trick anymore after that day, the seller was happy about it.

Lessons from the story:

1. Luck won’t favour always.

2. Do not avoid responsibilities with tricks, rather be productive.

There are several Individuals out there pretending as a beggar, most of them have a healthy body, they are not a handicap, they just chose to be a beggar and survive life with tricks. The reason why most of these set of people engage in such trick is their laziness and inability to discover that they are powerful and can dominate their world. Most people act foolishly when they are pitied. A person who always expect people to pity him or her will likely be unproductive. And once laziness becomes part and parcel of an individual, it becomes hard for that individual to become better or productive.

Another category of people who are also suffering from laziness are those who avoid what needs to be attended to in their lives. Busy people are often the laziest, they are too busy to work on themselves. They are busy with their work, they fail to create time to work on their personal development. They stay busy as a way of avoiding something they do not want to face. They often know that something important needs to be attended to in their lives, but they prefer to stay busy as a way of avoiding it. That is the most common form of laziness. An attitude of unwillingness to change. They failed to attend to issues in their lives. They prefer to be busy watching TV, playing snooker, or even at work rather than working on themselves or increasing the quality of their lives.

Another set of unproductive people are those who feel entitled. This type of people is just like those who pretend as beggars. Theirs is done in another way. They often call several people who are close to them for support. They ask for a share of what doesn't belong to them, but they rather see it as a right. They justify themselves with words like "he is my uncle, I can ask whatever I want from him" "she is a sister to me, there is nothing wrong if she helps me." And most of the time, if the individual they looked up to was unable to help them, they see that person as wicked or not generous.

Productivity is commonly defined as a ratio between the output volume and the volume of inputs. In other words, it shows how efficient a person is, compared to the opportunities and materials an individual has at his disposal. It is the quality, state, or evidence of being able to generate, create, enhance, or bring forth maximum value.

11 activities that can make you more productive

Have you ever asked yourself that how can I be more productive? How can I improve as an individual?, what do I need to do to be more valuable and creative?

“Productivity is being able to do things that you were never able to do before.”___Franz Kafka

How To Improve As An Individual

Our lives are a reflection of our habits more than our education. You need to make a habit out of self-improvement. Engage yourself daily in activities that contribute to your growth. Self-development is an art in itself, it is a continual process. It takes a lifetime of practice to master. The following are effective ways in which you can improve as an individual.

1. Research about the aspect of your life you want to improve: This is the first and crucial step. It is important because you will be able to select books, pieces of training, and the kind of materials you will need. You will be able to get clues of how to get started. Do you want to get better at a certain skill? or you want to be more confident and productive? Research about it to know the pieces of training or books that will be most beneficial.
2. Get the useful materials: Depending on the area of your life you want to improve on. Source for the materials that will be needed. There are books upon books that you can study. This generation is so blessed that you can get as much information you need as fast and easy as possible. Ensure you take notes as you access these materials. Get a notepad and pen for this special activity. Taking notes alone is not enough, you must take action too.
3. Find an accountability partner or people to train with: Self-improvement is more effective when it is done with others who are competent. Spend time with people who are working on similar things as you, and you'll find yourself cultivating new good habits at a faster rate than trying to do it all alone. Are you learning to play an instrument? Join other people who are doing the same and you will learn it faster and better.
   
   
   
4. Submit yourself to a mentor: A mentor is a person who has professional and life experience, who voluntarily agrees to help a mentee develop skills, competencies, or goals. A mentor is also an advisor and role model who is willing to invest in the mentee's personal growth and professional development. Most of the time there is an exchange by working in some way for or with them.
5. Reflect and measure your progress: Evaluate and see how far you have gone. Compare the previous state to the current state. No matter how intangible the thing you are working on is, you have to find some way to measure your progress. In such a way you'll know if you are progressing or not.
6. Celebrate/punish yourself: If you notice that you are progressing, celebrate yourself. You can decide to buy yourself your favourite drink. Relax and enjoy it at that moment. And if you fail to carry out the daily challenge, create a punishment for yourself, let your mentor or accountability partner hold you responsible.
7. Sincerity matters a lot: Making a decision is far easier than carrying it out. No amount of talking about it will ever initiate true change. Avoid the use of the word "I WILL" Take an immediate step and be true to yourself. Don't Deceive yourself by buying self-development books and leaving them on the table without opening them. No amount of talking will bring about change or growth, ACTION is what counts.
8. Set goals: Write clear goals about this new skill or habit you want to form down aim in your diary or journal. You can write it on a piece of small paper too and fix it beside your bed. Ensure it is not placed at a hidden place, paste it where it is easier for you to see. You must put in mind the rule of goal setting too. Your goals must follow the SMART rules.S- SPECIFIC, M- MEASURABLE, A-ACHIEVABLE, R-REALISTIC, T-TIME-BOUND
   
   
   
9. Select role models: We human beings tend to be motivated when we see others who have done what we intend to do. It is much easier to accomplish a challenge that someone else has been through. Look up to people who are a symbol of success concerning the kind of thing you want to improve on. Read about them, learn their ways of doing it and approach that aspect in your unique style. The aim of selecting a role model is just to motivate and inspire you, not to be exactly like them. Everyone has his unique style.
10. Be consistent: Don't act like a pendulum bob, swaying from one side to the other. Focus on one thing at a time and rigorously work it out into success. Be consistent, avoid having a long break in between sessions of your practice. Involve yourself regularly and dedicate yourself to getting a massive result.
    
    
    
11. Know when to relax a bit: It is not advisable to overwork yourself. Let the growth process consume you but don't let it finish you. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day. Break down your goals or aim into steps that are achievable at a go. If you are just starting, go with less speed and as you master the new skill or attitude, then you can move with full speed. I wish you the best, cheers to your life of productivity.

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The Old Man, His Son And The Couple

The Old Man, His Son And The Couple

Inspirational Short Stories with lessons - How to develop a positive attitude towards an individual, a group, object or circumstance, how to avoid negative view on matters and people's behaviour.

A 24-year-old boy was with his dad on a train. seeing out from the train’s window, he shouted. “Dad, look the trees are going behind!” his dad smiled.

A young couple was sitting nearby, they looked at the 24-year old’s childish behaviour with pity.

suddenly he again shouted, “Dad look! the clouds are running with us!”

The couple couldn’t resist and said to the old man. “Why don’t you take your son to a good doctor?”

The old man smiled and said

“I did and we are just coming from the hospital, my son was blind from birth, he just got his eyes today.”

Lessons from the story

1. Every single person in the world has a story. Don’t judge people before you truly know them. The truth might surprise you.

2. Be quiet whenever you aren't sure of the reason behind a circumstance.

How to develop a positive view on matters and people's behaviour.

 “Positive anything is better than negative nothing.” ___Elbert Hubbard

It is not reasonable to jump to conclusions. And even if you need to say something about an event/occurrence, let it be a positive one. Causing sadness in people's lives can come from the response you gave to their actions or words. There are lots of critics in the world already, let your words be an encouragement and not an energy drainer to peoples lives. Our forefathers said, "voice is like an egg, once it drops, it breaks and there is no remedy to the damage."

Your words automatically create a memory in people's mind. It can either be a good one or a bad one. You must be aware that bad memories hurt and last longer than good memories. It is possible to easily forget the good things people do to you, but if an individual hurts you badly, you can recall that easily because it will surely be connected to your emotions, especially if you are the emotional type. How often do you remember the times your friend share his/her things with you in school? But you cannot easily forget the day he/she implicates you, especially if you were severely punished.

The world continues getting worse due to the way everyone sees his fellow man. If by the law of the Creator, you are to love your neighbour as yourself. And not trying to intimidate, discourage or frustrate other human beings like you.

"If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden"
_____Frances Hodgson Burnett

Imagine a world filled with individuals that have compassion towards their fellow man. The joy, unity, peace and progress of such a world can't be defined.

And these are the answers to the question;

how do I develop a positive attitude, view, or perception on matters and people's behaviour.

To develop a positive view of people's behaviour or circumstance, you must:

1. Ask questions in a positive manner

In as much as you are ready to develop a positive attitude on people's behaviour or circumstance. Be relaxed and at the same time quick to ask questions positively.

 “You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.” ___Joyce Meyer

The couples in the story asked “Why don’t you take your son to a good doctor?”(the suggestion is a negative one) instead of using a line such as "why is your son so excited" (positive). It is as if the couple is saying, the boy is not mentally alright.

The way a question has been constructed will definitely show the impression of such an individual towards the other party.

And to have a positive impression on issues, you must ask questions in a positive way if you are unable to keep silent.

Perhaps someone is shouting excessively and you got irritated, instead of saying; why are you barking like a dog?, say; Are you aware that your voice is too loud. In that way, you are not sounding negative or abusive, rather you are healthily passing the information.

"It does not matter how long you are spending on the earth, how much money you have gathered or how much attention you have received. It is the amount of positive vibration you have radiated in life that matters"
_____Amit Ray

2. Consider Other people's Perspective

If you're engaging in a thing with someone else, think of his or her opinion and how it relates to your own. For instance, let’s say you are expected to meet at the beach by midday and such an individual showed up an hour late, you may have many different impressions based on your perspective. You may feel angry that the person has disrespected your agreed time, or maybe you feel worried that something bad has happened to such being. However, from his/her point of view, he/she may have been stuck in traffic or delayed by an unexpected issue that must be attended to without delay.

Or maybe you agreed on a particular thing together with others and you discovered the plan was changed without your consent. You must try to know why they do so and avoid reacting negatively. You can ask them a question about it instead of having a wrong conclusion that they don't regard you well or that they are deceitful.

3. Stop Thinking In Terms Of "Should" or "shouldn't."

thinking in terms of how certain things should or shouldn't be can lead to disappointment. We all tend to see things from our limited perspective, but our view of how things should or should not be causes most of the suffering in our lives," Avoid this perception about any form of occurrence or actions displayed by people.

If you address issues based on what should or shouldn't be, it might bring in troubles, because things will not always go as you think. Everyone is unique, the way you see things is quite different from others. Everybody looks at the same situation with different viewpoints. The main point is this; perception differs.

4. Delay response or reactions to situations

This is one of the most effective ways on how to develop a positive view of people's behaviour or circumstance.

You must be quick to hear, and learn to delay responses. At times, we respond to situations without having a full understanding of what has happened. And through this process, we won't be able to respond to it in the right way, because the reaction to such a situation was not coming from the actual sense but from what we assumed. And this can lead to the wrong proclamation. Hence, it is advisable to keep quiet when you have not found out the basis of what happened.

5. Imagine the Bigger Picture

Consider the bigger picture when forming a perspective on something. let your conclusion focus on the better side, think of this viewpoint or area of focus and hold up within the larger picture or real-world effects. By enlarging your lens to the bigger picture you will begin to see things more clearly. More details about the event will come to you naturally if you can imagine the big picture. Hence, you will positively view people's behaviour.

The big picture in the real sense is the entire perspective on a situation or issue.

To develop a positive view of people's behaviour or circumstance, you must not have a narrow mindset about issues, circumstance or behaviour of people. Think in a big and reasonable way.

6. Avoid prejudice

To develop a positive view of people's behaviour or circumstance, you must learn to avoid prejudice.

Prejudice is a negative and unfavourable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reasoning. It can be any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favourable or unfavourable. It is also unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, especially of an opposing nature, towards any ethnic, racial, social, or religious group.

Prejudice can be a powerful influence, biasing the way we think about and act towards other people. Now, a new study shows that the way people view ethnic minority faces is communicated to their level of prejudice. It turns out that the visualized faces based on the choices of prejudiced people were characterized by another group as being more criminal-looking.

Prejudice has a powerful and harmful effect, it has the power to affect the way we react to situations. Prejudice makes the victim feel less than fully human. Prejudice can often lead to bullying and other forms of discrimination.

Prejudice can be termed as small-mindedness, and this is totally against a positive attitude. A positive outlook will come alive only in big thinking and not a small mindset.

"There is a magnificent, beautiful, wonderful painting in front of you! It is intricate, detailed, a painstaking labour of devotion and love! The colours are like no other, they swim and leap, they trickle and embellish! And yet you choose to fixate your eyes on the small fly which has landed on it! Why do you do such a thing?"
____C. JoyBell C.

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