Success - Personal growth

Perhaps the most important realization that an individual can make in their quest for personal growth is that there is no single formula that defines the path to personal success. We all have different goals and priorities, which means that different activities and attitudes will make us feel good about ourselves. We also have different natural strengths and weaknesses that are a part of our inherent personality type. How then, as individuals, can we feel successful in our lives?

Understand What's Important to You

Each personality type has a different idea of what it means to be successful. Self-knowledge is one common goal that will help everyone achieve personal success. So many people are hung up on somebody else's idea of what it means to be successful, and they are unaware of what is truly important to them. This is completely normal. We all have important role-models and influencers in our lives who may have basic values that are quite different from our own. If this is the case, it's important to recognize that the discrepancy between what we have been taught is truly important and what we personally believe to be truly important is due to a difference in perspective. If we spend our time and effort trying to meet somebody else's idea of success, and ignore or belittle any conflicting messages from our own psyche, then we will find ourselves exhausted and unhappy. Realizing what is truly important to us is a major step towards achieving personal success. [personalitypage, 2010]

Maintain your everyday's Romance...

1. Tell the truth. Truth is the ultimate aphrodisiac and a great way to create connection with your partner. For example, you might say "I feel safe when I am with you" or "Sometimes I feel scared that we get so busy with other things that we forget about creating close moments together, but I really want to be close with you." Just share your true feelings and speak from your experience. If you are concealing in your relationship, you will not feel connected, so consider making truth an ongoing priority in your life.

2. Appreciate yourself and your partner. Appreciation means "to grow in value, or to be sensitively aware of." Take time to understand just what it is that you like about yourself, and your partner. Saying for example, "I am doing a good job as a parent by taking time to hug the kids in the morning before they go off to school." or "I really appreciate how dedicated you are to your job." Successful relationships have a 5 to 1 ratio of appreciations to criticisms, so if you really want to heat up your relationship, start appreciating!

3. Listen. All humans crave being seen and heard. Being with your partner, and really listening to them can be magical for you both. Often, we want to fix their problems, but it is much more powerful to listen. Saying, "Wow, I can understand you are frustrated." or "That must have been hard on you." lets your partner know you're hearing them.

4. Create romance within yourself first. We often try to "get" our partners to be more romantic by believing we need to change them in order to have what we want. The truth is that you are much more likely to have what you want when 'you' show up in that way. For example, create your own romantic mood--dress, put on music, prepare sensuous foods, take some time to Love and appreciate yourself. It will not take long for your partner to join in the fun!

5. Ask for what you want. Let your partner know that you are deeply interested in spending some romantic time with them (You would be surprised at how often they are unaware of this.) Whining, demanding, and manipulating are contrary to creating romance, so do your best to ask using kind and loving words.

6. Speak your partner's love language. We often become confused and disappointed by expecting the other person to do such and such romantic things. Do to your partner the things they like as well as you telling them what 'you' like, want, and expect. When you fulfill their needs and desires, you will end up receiving the same in return!

7. Accept each other unconditionally, respect each others wishes and dislikes. Keep the mystery and fascination to each other. Love each moment as if it is the last. [weloved,2010]

Attitude & Behavior...

Attitude and behavior are two quite different things. Attitude is a person's inner thoughts and feelings, while behavior is usually an outward expression of attitude, but the two are not always related.

Attitude & Behavior development: Morals are the fundamental part of the person's attitude. Morality is learned from examples set by our parents and society.
Morality is largely shaped by parents. Children imitate their parents and gain their morality from the morality of their parents. If parents try to teach their child one thing, but do another, the child will more likely copy the actual behavior of its parents; another base of attitude and behavior that is acquired from a person's social environment is morality. It is a Freudian belief that the morality of a person is shaped by society. However, other beliefs, such as those of many religions, proclaim that morality is instilled in people by a god or gods.

Attitude & Behavior change: Attitude and behavior change with experiences and disagreement with others; while, Moral also change when your behavior goes against them. Since attitude and behavior are not the same thing, a person may offer a reason even if he or she does not believe it. This might be done so others will think that all is well and he or she would not have to show the dissonance in their outer behavior. However, the dissonance is still present and his or her attitude must change in a different way in order to remove this dissonance. This may take the form of a simple resolution, and the person's opinion of the other person may change, even though he or she does not show it in their behavior. Plus, The dissonance between attitude and behavior also explains why a person that continues to behave against his or her morals will find that the morals become weaker because his or her attitude toward that behavior is no longer strongly opposed to it. [thinkquest.org, 2010]

When a person's attitude and behavior differ, dissonance will likely result, and a change in attitude or behavior will be the probable outcome.

Signs of excessive stress at work...

For workers everywhere, the troubled economy may feel like an emotional roller coaster. "Layoffs" and "budget cuts" have become bywords in the workplace, and the result is increased fear, uncertainty, and higher levels of stress. Since job and workplace stress grow in times of economic crisis, it’s important to learn new and better ways of coping with the pressure. The ability to manage stress in the workplace can make the difference between success or failure on the job. Your emotions are contagious, and stress has an impact on the quality of your interactions with others. The better you are at managing your own stress, the more you'll positively affect those around you and the less other people's stress will negatively affect you.

Warning signs of excessive stress at work

When people feel overwhelmed, they lose confidence and become irritable or withdrawn, making them less productive and effective and their work less rewarding. If the warning signs of work stress go unattended, they can lead to bigger problems. Beyond interfering with job performance and satisfaction, chronic or intense stress can also lead to physical and emotional health problems.

Common causes of excessive workplace stress

* Fear of layoffs
* Increased demands for overtime due to staff cutbacks
* Pressure to perform to meet rising expectations but with no increase in job satisfaction
* Pressure to work at optimum levels – all the time! [helpguide.org, 2010]

Job and Workplace STRESS!

In this difficult economy, you may find it harder than ever to cope with challenges on the job. Both the stress we take with us when we go to work and the stress that awaits us on the job are on the rise – and employers, managers, and workers all feel the added pressure. While some stress is a normal part of life, excessive stress interferes with your productivity and reduces your physical and emotional health, so it’s important to find ways to keep it under control.

You can learn how to manage job stress as following:

There are a variety of steps you can take to reduce both your overall stress levels and the stress you find on the job and in the workplace. These include:

* Taking responsibility for improving your physical and emotional well-being.

* Avoiding pitfalls by identifying knee jerk habits and negative attitudes that add to the stress you experience at work.

* Learning better communication skills to ease and improve your relationships with management and coworkers.

Time management tips for reducing job stress

* Create a balanced schedule. Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. All work and no play is a recipe for burnout. Try to find a balance between work and family life, social activities and solitary pursuits, daily responsibilities and downtime.

* Don’t over-commit yourself. Avoid scheduling things back-to-back or trying to fit too much into one day. All too often, we underestimate how long things will take. If you've got too much on your plate, distinguish between the "shoulds" and the "musts." Drop tasks that aren't truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.

* Try to leave earlier in the morning. Even 10-15 minutes can make the difference between frantically rushing to your desk and having time to ease into your day. Don’t add to your stress levels by running late.

* Plan regular breaks. Make sure to take short breaks throughout the day to sit back and clear your mind. Also try to get away from your desk for lunch. Stepping away from work to briefly relax and recharge will help you be more, not less, productive. [helpguide.org, 2010]