Most of us are familiar with the multi-colored puzzle cube, in which the player needs to twist and turn its little squares so each side of the cube can form its corresponding color. This multicolored puzzle is what we commonly know as the “Rubik’s Cube,” which was invented by the Hungarian sculptor named Erno Rubik.
via Blogger Kid solves three Rubik cubes in record time – while juggling them in the air!
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Breaking Bad Habits Once And For All. Erasing bad habits can be very hard sometimes, especially if you do not know the right way to do so. I wrote this post from through the lens of addiction because it is so prevalent in our society and it’s one of my primary treatment focuses with my clients. I’ve seen how many people on the road to success get sabotaged by the false promises of drugs and alcohol. It’s can be tough when managing a high-stress, high-achieving life to not give in to insecurities or emotional struggles that lead to sabotaging behaviors.
Making and Breaking Habits go Hand-in-HandMaking and breaking habits are often tied together in how our mind works. We often break one habit by initiating another. For instance, quitting smoking is usually replaced by some other stress-reducing behavior like implementing a daily walking routine. There is varied data on how long it takes to initiate a new habit or break one. There is research demonstrating evidence for it taking a few weeks to almost a year to change habitual behavior. It all depends on how quickly it integrates into our routine and becomes “automatic” – like pouring your first cup of coffee or brushing your teeth in the morning. Current and popular research on habit formation points to a repetition of the behavior as well as having a cue as the antecedents to change. Looking at the implementation of a walking routine, the cue may be the time of day – i.e. upon waking up, you would get dressed an out the door within 30 minutes. If you practiced that daily, at some point you wouldn’t have to remind yourself; you would just wake and get ready to go for your walk. How do we know a habit is bad for us?We’ve known for many decades about the positive and negative reinforcement loops of engaging in behavior repetitively (think Pavlov’s dogs). Lately, a more recent, but still decades-old study is making the rounds on the internet: the Rat Park study of addiction in the 1970’s. In that study, rats were socially isolated and provided a steady stream of opiates to calm their assumed distress at living an isolated life. At a later point in time, the rats were provided a community of other rats to mingle with. They were also still provided the option of numbing themselves with the opiates, but they found that when the rats were socially supported they did not choose the drug. That leads to the question at hand: How do we know a habit is bad for us? When something reinforces us positively, we continue to do it. It has been assumed that when the rats were socially isolated, they engaged in the continued opiate use because it made their rat life more tolerable. Then, when they had other rats to play with, they no longer needed the pharmacological experience since they were now getting other positive benefits from playing with their park pals. When we explore drug abuse and reinforcement in humans, the early stage of drug and alcohol use indeed does give the user a positive effect. The initial “positive” effects of using drugs/alcohol are:
Although these are short-lived “benefits” the person who experienced them will often seek to repeat that feeling or experience, leading to repetitive engagement in that behavior. So we end up with a cue of, say, feeling insecure before a party leading to a repeated behavior of drinking before going to social events. Because the emotional payoff can be so strong, it becomes easy to overlook the early instances of “negative reinforcement” that occurs (i.e. hangovers, sexual promiscuity) and just continue engaging in the behavior we believe will give us a positive effect. Of course, as use continues, the positive effects become over-shadowed by the negative effects, but the user becomes both psychologically and physiologically dependent on them so they continue to use. There is something to be said about the negative effects that keep one in that feedback loop as well. Many addicts start to get comfortable in the role of being the one that can’t be relied upon or needing to be taken care of. When they start living in that role, their loved ones often stop putting responsibilities on them or see them as helpless due to the addiction. Their loved ones may be frustrated with them, but again, the positives outweigh the negative even when the “positive” is a ‘negative”. This starts to get convoluted and confusing, but to understand it better think of it this way: Joe began drinking because he was frustrated that he was always working so hard and felt his wife should help out more financially. Over time, Joe became less functional and his wife ended up having to get a better paying job in order to support the family because Joe was no longer able to do it because of his drinking. You see, Joe got exactly what he wanted, but it was at the expense of his self-worth and his marriage. No one would ever recommend this as a way to get your emotional needs met. In the end, a habit is bad for us if it affects the quality of our daily life. For as much as Joe got what he wanted, his life was no longer the same and had dramatically taken a turn for the worse, emotionally, physically and financially. The reinforcement loop needs to be broken so that Joe starts to learn more effective ways to get his emotional needs met (i.e. communicating with his wife instead of drinking to numb his emotions).
The Role Rewards Play in Breaking Bad HabitsFor as much as we need a strong cue and repetition to form new habits, we also need a good dose of positive rewards on the flip side when breaking bad habits. Let’s look at Joe and his alcoholism. In the early stage of breaking his habit, Joe will need a hefty dose of positive reinforcement to outweigh the alcohol addiction because his addicted mind will be screaming loudly at him to not change his behavior. Some rewards that might benefit Joe are:
These rewards also become automatic and expected. Joe becomes motivated to stay sober because he realizes he has a sense of purpose in his family, his wife listens when he talks about his needs and his kids want to be around him. Joe has a better chance at maintaining his behavior change as long as he can still feel the reward. 5 Ways to Avoid Bad Habits
1.) Listen to your emotional needs – You may be a high-achieving, driven person who’s always on the go! Go! GO! Even you need a break sometimes. Listen to your mind and body and know when to take a day (or 2 or 3) off. You and the people you are working for will appreciate that you are the best version of you, rather than a tired, bitter, over-worked one. 2.) Ask for help when you need it – Just like Joe who didn’t tell his wife he needed help because he expected her to “just know” or see that he was distressed, we can’t assume our partners can read our minds. Somewhere along the route to achievement, it seems we get instilled with the idea that asking for help is a sign of weakness and the idea of acting on the impulse gets over-shadowed by shame, guilt or pride. Don’t make Joe’s mistake and expect your partner to read your mind. No matter how much your partner loves you or how well your business partner knows you, no one is a mind-reader (and you can’t be and at them for not meeting your needs if you don’t tell them what they are). 3.) Don’t listen to that negative voice in your head – I know you know what I’m talking about. You can be on a great path to success or you can already have reached heights you never dreamed of, and yet, that little voice in the back of your mind comes creeping around the corner to tell you “you’re not good enough” or “it’s not going to last” or “everyone’s going to find out you are just faking it”. CUT. IT. OUT! At the very first inkling of that voice, pull yourself out of your head – engage in something that brings you into focus in your present environment: notice the sounds around you, make eye contact with someone, re-engage in conversation with someone. What if you’re all alone in a silent room (ala bedtime)? Tell yourself something different – tell yourself the TRUTH! You are competent! You are exactly who others think you are! You don’t have time to let negative thoughts get you down and you definitely don’t have time to have them lead to sabotaging bad habits. 4.) Do something each week that is just for you with no goal attached to it – For me, exercise keeps me sane, for others, it’s drawing, knitting, skating, singing, playing in a band, reading, cooking or any number of other things that just speak to one’s soul and lets you know that no matter how busy you think you are, there is always a few hours to be in touch with what fuels your spirit. 5.) Stay socially engaged – Just like the rats in the Rat Park study, we need connection with others. Staying socially engaged allows us the freedom to express ourselves and be heard by others, gives us a sense of community when our lives might otherwise feel isolated, and, of course, one of the biggest factors in self-sabotaging behavior and bad habits seems to be spurred by a sense of not feeling like we belong. We need to feel like we belong. Especially in the case of drug and alcohol abuse we know one of the most prevalent factors in achieving and maintaining sobriety is when one has a sense of community. Try it – Next time you’re feeling alone, reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in a while – I bet you’ll both feel better for it. The post A Guide To Erasing Bad Habits From Your Life appeared first on Everyday Power Blog. via Blogger A Guide To Erasing Bad Habits From Your Life Our latest collection of Lao Tzu quotes on Everyday Power Blog. Enjoy! Lao Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer who’s believed to be the author of the Tao Te Ching (a collection of sayings describing the principal Taoist teachings), and the father of Chinese Taoism (a philosophy that advocates living a simple life.) Also known as Laozi, Lao Tzu existed in the 6th century B.C and is considered a central figure in Chinese culture. Although very little is known about his life, Lao Tzu’s teachings have been passed down through the centuries and have influenced many different people, regardless of culture. Lao Tzu’s timeless wisdom can teach us a lot about life and maximizing our Everyday Power. In that regard, below are some amazing Lao Tzu quotes to instill his timeless wisdom and inspire you to be the best you can be.
Lao Tzu quotes on life
1.) “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” – Lao Tzu
2.) “If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.” – Lao Tzu
3.) “Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.”- Lao Tzu
4.) “Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides.” – Lao Tzu
5.) “The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.” ― Lao Tzu
6.) “Who acts in stillness finds stillness in his life.” ― Lao Tzu
7.) “I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” ― ― Lao Tzu
8.) “Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.” ― Lao Tzu
9.) “If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.” ― Lao Tzu
10.) “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” ― Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu quotes about love and happiness
11.) “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ― Lao Tzu
12.) “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ― Lao Tzu
13.) “He who is contented is rich.” ― Lao Tzu
14.) “By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning.”― Lao Tzu
15.) “Love is a decision. Not an emotion.” ― Lao Tzu
16.) “If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.” ― Lao Tzu
17.) “Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” ― Lao Tzu
18.) “Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy.” ― Lao Tzu
19.) “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” ― Lao Tzu
20.) “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” ― Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu quotes to inspire greatness
21.) “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.”― Lao Tzu
22.) “A man with outward courage dares to die: a man with inner courage dares to live.” ― Lao Tzu
23.) “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” ― Lao Tzu
24.) “For the wise man looks into space and he knows there is no limited dimensions.” ― Lao Tzu
25.) “Time is a created thing. To say “I don’t have time,” is like saying, “I don’t want to.” ― Lao Tzu
26.) “At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” ― Lao Tzu
27.) “The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.” ― Lao Tzu
28.) “The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.” – Lao Tzu
29.) “If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of intelligence.” – Lao Tzu
30.) “Surrender your self-interest. Love others as much as you love yourself. Then you can be entrusted with all things under heaven.” – Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu quotes that are full of wisdom
31.) “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu
32.) “Silence is a source of great strength.” – Lao Tzu
33.) “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” – Lao Tzu
34.) “Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.” ― Lao Tzu
35.) “The words of truth are always paradoxical” – Lao Tzu
36.) “Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.” – Lao Tzu
37.) “If you try to change it, you will ruin it. Try to hold it, and you will lose it.” – Lao Tzu
38.) “If you want to know me look inside your heart.” – Lao Tzu
39.) “Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.” – Lao Tzu
40.) “When the student is ready the teacher will appear. When the student is truly ready… The teacher will Disappear.” – Lao Tzu
Other inspirational Lao Tzu quotes
41.) “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu
42.) “All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power.” – Lao Tzu
43.) “Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small.” – Lao Tzu
44.) “It is better to do one’s own duty, however defective it may be, than to follow the duty of another, however well one may perform it. He who does his duty as his own nature reveals it, never sins.” – Lao Tzu
45.) “The best fighter is never angry.” – Lao Tzu
46.) “Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?” – Lao Tzu
47.) “Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it.” – Lao Tzu
48.) “There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent.” – Lao Tzu
49.) “Success is as dangerous as failure. Hope is as hollow as fear.” – Lao Tzu
50.) “To a mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.” – Lao Tzu
Which of these Lao Tzu quotes was your favorite?Lao Tzu is believed to have traveled halfway around the world spreading his teachings. As we live in a world filled with conflict and uncertainty, Lao Tzu’s wisdom is perhaps in much greater need today than it ever was. Hopefully, these quotes from the legendary philosopher have helped you develop your inner strength and inspired you to be the best you can be. Did you enjoy these Lao Tzu quotes? Which of the quotes was your favorite? Tell us in the comment section below. We would love to hear all about it.
The post 50 Lao Tzu quotes on life, love and happiness appeared first on Everyday Power Blog. via Blogger 50 Lao Tzu quotes on life, love and happiness After years of asking little boy finally gets a baby brother and the photos will melt your heart7/31/2018
For some people, the picture of the six-year-old Mikey Marotta holding his baby brother, Jake Marotta, maybe just an ordinary picture of siblings showering each other with some brotherly love. But for Jessica and Micheal Marotta, Mikey’s parents, his photo shows a child whose eyes are glowing with joy after finally getting his wish! According
via Tumblr After years of asking, little boy finally gets a baby brother and the photos will melt your heart
Most of us are familiar with the multi-colored puzzle cube, in which the player needs to twist and turn its little squares so each side of the cube can form its corresponding color. This multicolored puzzle is what we commonly know as the “Rubik’s Cube,” which was invented by the Hungarian sculptor named Erno Rubik.
via Tumblr Kid solves three Rubik cubes in record time – while juggling them in the air! Breaking Bad Habits Once And For All. Erasing bad habits can be very hard sometimes, especially if you do not know the right way to do so. I wrote this post from through the lens of addiction because it is so prevalent in our society and it’s one of my primary treatment focuses with my clients. I’ve seen how many people on the road to success get sabotaged by the false promises of drugs and alcohol. It’s can be tough when managing a high-stress, high-achieving life to not give in to insecurities or emotional struggles that lead to sabotaging behaviors.
Making and Breaking Habits go Hand-in-HandMaking and breaking habits are often tied together in how our mind works. We often break one habit by initiating another. For instance, quitting smoking is usually replaced by some other stress-reducing behavior like implementing a daily walking routine. There is varied data on how long it takes to initiate a new habit or break one. There is research demonstrating evidence for it taking a few weeks to almost a year to change habitual behavior. It all depends on how quickly it integrates into our routine and becomes “automatic” – like pouring your first cup of coffee or brushing your teeth in the morning. Current and popular research on habit formation points to a repetition of the behavior as well as having a cue as the antecedents to change. Looking at the implementation of a walking routine, the cue may be the time of day – i.e. upon waking up, you would get dressed an out the door within 30 minutes. If you practiced that daily, at some point you wouldn’t have to remind yourself; you would just wake and get ready to go for your walk. How do we know a habit is bad for us?We’ve known for many decades about the positive and negative reinforcement loops of engaging in behavior repetitively (think Pavlov’s dogs). Lately, a more recent, but still decades-old study is making the rounds on the internet: the Rat Park study of addiction in the 1970’s. In that study, rats were socially isolated and provided a steady stream of opiates to calm their assumed distress at living an isolated life. At a later point in time, the rats were provided a community of other rats to mingle with. They were also still provided the option of numbing themselves with the opiates, but they found that when the rats were socially supported they did not choose the drug. That leads to the question at hand: How do we know a habit is bad for us? When something reinforces us positively, we continue to do it. It has been assumed that when the rats were socially isolated, they engaged in the continued opiate use because it made their rat life more tolerable. Then, when they had other rats to play with, they no longer needed the pharmacological experience since they were now getting other positive benefits from playing with their park pals. When we explore drug abuse and reinforcement in humans, the early stage of drug and alcohol use indeed does give the user a positive effect. The initial “positive” effects of using drugs/alcohol are:
Although these are short-lived “benefits” the person who experienced them will often seek to repeat that feeling or experience, leading to repetitive engagement in that behavior. So we end up with a cue of, say, feeling insecure before a party leading to a repeated behavior of drinking before going to social events. Because the emotional payoff can be so strong, it becomes easy to overlook the early instances of “negative reinforcement” that occurs (i.e. hangovers, sexual promiscuity) and just continue engaging in the behavior we believe will give us a positive effect. Of course, as use continues, the positive effects become over-shadowed by the negative effects, but the user becomes both psychologically and physiologically dependent on them so they continue to use. There is something to be said about the negative effects that keep one in that feedback loop as well. Many addicts start to get comfortable in the role of being the one that can’t be relied upon or needing to be taken care of. When they start living in that role, their loved ones often stop putting responsibilities on them or see them as helpless due to the addiction. Their loved ones may be frustrated with them, but again, the positives outweigh the negative even when the “positive” is a ‘negative”. This starts to get convoluted and confusing, but to understand it better think of it this way: Joe began drinking because he was frustrated that he was always working so hard and felt his wife should help out more financially. Over time, Joe became less functional and his wife ended up having to get a better paying job in order to support the family because Joe was no longer able to do it because of his drinking. You see, Joe got exactly what he wanted, but it was at the expense of his self-worth and his marriage. No one would ever recommend this as a way to get your emotional needs met. In the end, a habit is bad for us if it affects the quality of our daily life. For as much as Joe got what he wanted, his life was no longer the same and had dramatically taken a turn for the worse, emotionally, physically and financially. The reinforcement loop needs to be broken so that Joe starts to learn more effective ways to get his emotional needs met (i.e. communicating with his wife instead of drinking to numb his emotions). The Role Rewards Play in Breaking Bad HabitsFor as much as we need a strong cue and repetition to form new habits, we also need a good dose of positive rewards on the flip side when breaking bad habits. Let’s look at Joe and his alcoholism. In the early stage of breaking his habit, Joe will need a hefty dose of positive reinforcement to outweigh the alcohol addiction because his addicted mind will be screaming loudly at him to not change his behavior. Some rewards that might benefit Joe are:
These rewards also become automatic and expected. Joe becomes motivated to stay sober because he realizes he has a sense of purpose in his family, his wife listens when he talks about his needs and his kids want to be around him. Joe has a better chance at maintaining his behavior change as long as he can still feel the reward. 5 Ways to Avoid Bad Habits1.) Listen to your emotional needs – You may be a high-achieving, driven person who’s always on the go! Go! GO! Even you need a break sometimes. Listen to your mind and body and know when to take a day (or 2 or 3) off. You and the people you are working for will appreciate that you are the best version of you, rather than a tired, bitter, over-worked one. 2.) Ask for help when you need it – Just like Joe who didn’t tell his wife he needed help because he expected her to “just know” or see that he was distressed, we can’t assume our partners can read our minds. Somewhere along the route to achievement, it seems we get instilled with the idea that asking for help is a sign of weakness and the idea of acting on the impulse gets over-shadowed by shame, guilt or pride. Don’t make Joe’s mistake and expect your partner to read your mind. No matter how much your partner loves you or how well your business partner knows you, no one is a mind-reader (and you can’t be and at them for not meeting your needs if you don’t tell them what they are). 3.) Don’t listen to that negative voice in your head – I know you know what I’m talking about. You can be on a great path to success or you can already have reached heights you never dreamed of, and yet, that little voice in the back of your mind comes creeping around the corner to tell you “you’re not good enough” or “it’s not going to last” or “everyone’s going to find out you are just faking it”. CUT. IT. OUT! At the very first inkling of that voice, pull yourself out of your head – engage in something that brings you into focus in your present environment: notice the sounds around you, make eye contact with someone, re-engage in conversation with someone. What if you’re all alone in a silent room (ala bedtime)? Tell yourself something different – tell yourself the TRUTH! You are competent! You are exactly who others think you are! You don’t have time to let negative thoughts get you down and you definitely don’t have time to have them lead to sabotaging bad habits. 4.) Do something each week that is just for you with no goal attached to it – For me, exercise keeps me sane, for others, it’s drawing, knitting, skating, singing, playing in a band, reading, cooking or any number of other things that just speak to one’s soul and lets you know that no matter how busy you think you are, there is always a few hours to be in touch with what fuels your spirit. 5.) Stay socially engaged – Just like the rats in the Rat Park study, we need connection with others. Staying socially engaged allows us the freedom to express ourselves and be heard by others, gives us a sense of community when our lives might otherwise feel isolated, and, of course, one of the biggest factors in self-sabotaging behavior and bad habits seems to be spurred by a sense of not feeling like we belong. We need to feel like we belong. Especially in the case of drug and alcohol abuse we know one of the most prevalent factors in achieving and maintaining sobriety is when one has a sense of community. Try it – Next time you’re feeling alone, reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in a while – I bet you’ll both feel better for it. The post A Guide To Erasing Bad Habits From Your Life appeared first on Everyday Power Blog. via Tumblr A Guide To Erasing Bad Habits From Your Life Our latest collection of Lao Tzu quotes on Everyday Power Blog. Enjoy! Lao Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer who’s believed to be the author of the Tao Te Ching (a collection of sayings describing the principal Taoist teachings), and the father of Chinese Taoism (a philosophy that advocates living a simple life.) Also known as Laozi, Lao Tzu existed in the 6th century B.C and is considered a central figure in Chinese culture. Although very little is known about his life, Lao Tzu’s teachings have been passed down through the centuries and have influenced many different people, regardless of culture. Lao Tzu’s timeless wisdom can teach us a lot about life and maximizing our Everyday Power. In that regard, below are some amazing Lao Tzu quotes to instill his timeless wisdom and inspire you to be the best you can be. Lao Tzu quotes on life
1.) “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” – Lao Tzu 2.) “If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.” – Lao Tzu 3.) “Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.”- Lao Tzu 4.) “Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides.” – Lao Tzu 5.) “The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.” ― Lao Tzu 6.) “Who acts in stillness finds stillness in his life.” ― Lao Tzu 7.) “I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” ― ― Lao Tzu 8.) “Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.” ― Lao Tzu 9.) “If you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.” ― Lao Tzu 10.) “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” ― Lao Tzu Lao Tzu quotes about love and happiness
11.) “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” ― Lao Tzu 12.) “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ― Lao Tzu 13.) “He who is contented is rich.” ― Lao Tzu 14.) “By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning.”― Lao Tzu 15.) “Love is a decision. Not an emotion.” ― Lao Tzu 16.) “If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.” ― Lao Tzu 17.) “Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” ― Lao Tzu 18.) “Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy.” ― Lao Tzu 19.) “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” ― Lao Tzu 20.) “Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” ― Lao Tzu Lao Tzu quotes to inspire greatness
21.) “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.”― Lao Tzu 22.) “A man with outward courage dares to die: a man with inner courage dares to live.” ― Lao Tzu 23.) “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” ― Lao Tzu 24.) “For the wise man looks into space and he knows there is no limited dimensions.” ― Lao Tzu 25.) “Time is a created thing. To say “I don’t have time,” is like saying, “I don’t want to.” ― Lao Tzu 26.) “At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” ― Lao Tzu 27.) “The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.” ― Lao Tzu 28.) “The key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness.” – Lao Tzu 29.) “If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of intelligence.” – Lao Tzu 30.) “Surrender your self-interest. Love others as much as you love yourself. Then you can be entrusted with all things under heaven.” – Lao Tzu Lao Tzu quotes that are full of wisdom
31.) “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu 32.) “Silence is a source of great strength.” – Lao Tzu 33.) “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” – Lao Tzu 34.) “Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.” ― Lao Tzu 35.) “The words of truth are always paradoxical” – Lao Tzu 36.) “Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.” – Lao Tzu 37.) “If you try to change it, you will ruin it. Try to hold it, and you will lose it.” – Lao Tzu 38.) “If you want to know me look inside your heart.” – Lao Tzu 39.) “Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.” – Lao Tzu 40.) “When the student is ready the teacher will appear. When the student is truly ready… The teacher will Disappear.” – Lao Tzu Other inspirational Lao Tzu quotes
41.) “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu 42.) “All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power.” – Lao Tzu 43.) “Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small.” – Lao Tzu 44.) “It is better to do one’s own duty, however defective it may be, than to follow the duty of another, however well one may perform it. He who does his duty as his own nature reveals it, never sins.” – Lao Tzu 45.) “The best fighter is never angry.” – Lao Tzu 46.) “Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?” – Lao Tzu 47.) “Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it.” – Lao Tzu 48.) “There is no greater danger than underestimating your opponent.” – Lao Tzu 49.) “Success is as dangerous as failure. Hope is as hollow as fear.” – Lao Tzu 50.) “To a mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.” – Lao Tzu Which of these Lao Tzu quotes was your favorite?Lao Tzu is believed to have traveled halfway around the world spreading his teachings. As we live in a world filled with conflict and uncertainty, Lao Tzu’s wisdom is perhaps in much greater need today than it ever was. Hopefully, these quotes from the legendary philosopher have helped you develop your inner strength and inspired you to be the best you can be. Did you enjoy these Lao Tzu quotes? Which of the quotes was your favorite? Tell us in the comment section below. We would love to hear all about it. The post 50 Lao Tzu quotes on life, love and happiness appeared first on Everyday Power Blog. via Tumblr 50 Lao Tzu quotes on life, love and happiness Breaking Bad Habits Once And For All. Erasing bad habits can be very hard sometimes, especially if you do not know the right way to do so. I wrote this post from through the lens of addiction because it is so prevalent in our society and it’s one of my primary treatment focuses with my clients. I’ve seen how many people on the road to success get sabotaged by the false promises of drugs and alcohol. It’s can be tough when managing a high-stress, high-achieving life to not give in to insecurities or emotional struggles that lead to sabotaging behaviors.
Making and Breaking Habits go Hand-in-HandMaking and breaking habits are often tied together in how our mind works. We often break one habit by initiating another. For instance, quitting smoking is usually replaced by some other stress-reducing behavior like implementing a daily walking routine. There is varied data on how long it takes to initiate a new habit or break one. There is research demonstrating evidence for it taking a few weeks to almost a year to change habitual behavior. It all depends on how quickly it integrates into our routine and becomes “automatic” – like pouring your first cup of coffee or brushing your teeth in the morning. Current and popular research on habit formation points to a repetition of the behavior as well as having a cue as the antecedents to change. Looking at the implementation of a walking routine, the cue may be the time of day – i.e. upon waking up, you would get dressed an out the door within 30 minutes. If you practiced that daily, at some point you wouldn’t have to remind yourself; you would just wake and get ready to go for your walk. How do we know a habit is bad for us?We’ve known for many decades about the positive and negative reinforcement loops of engaging in behavior repetitively (think Pavlov’s dogs). Lately, a more recent, but still decades-old study is making the rounds on the internet: the Rat Park study of addiction in the 1970’s. In that study, rats were socially isolated and provided a steady stream of opiates to calm their assumed distress at living an isolated life. At a later point in time, the rats were provided a community of other rats to mingle with. They were also still provided the option of numbing themselves with the opiates, but they found that when the rats were socially supported they did not choose the drug. That leads to the question at hand: How do we know a habit is bad for us? When something reinforces us positively, we continue to do it. It has been assumed that when the rats were socially isolated, they engaged in the continued opiate use because it made their rat life more tolerable. Then, when they had other rats to play with, they no longer needed the pharmacological experience since they were now getting other positive benefits from playing with their park pals. When we explore drug abuse and reinforcement in humans, the early stage of drug and alcohol use indeed does give the user a positive effect. The initial “positive” effects of using drugs/alcohol are:
Although these are short-lived “benefits” the person who experienced them will often seek to repeat that feeling or experience, leading to repetitive engagement in that behavior. So we end up with a cue of, say, feeling insecure before a party leading to a repeated behavior of drinking before going to social events. Because the emotional payoff can be so strong, it becomes easy to overlook the early instances of “negative reinforcement” that occurs (i.e. hangovers, sexual promiscuity) and just continue engaging in the behavior we believe will give us a positive effect. Of course, as use continues, the positive effects become over-shadowed by the negative effects, but the user becomes both psychologically and physiologically dependent on them so they continue to use. There is something to be said about the negative effects that keep one in that feedback loop as well. Many addicts start to get comfortable in the role of being the one that can’t be relied upon or needing to be taken care of. When they start living in that role, their loved ones often stop putting responsibilities on them or see them as helpless due to the addiction. Their loved ones may be frustrated with them, but again, the positives outweigh the negative even when the “positive” is a ‘negative”. This starts to get convoluted and confusing, but to understand it better think of it this way: Joe began drinking because he was frustrated that he was always working so hard and felt his wife should help out more financially. Over time, Joe became less functional and his wife ended up having to get a better paying job in order to support the family because Joe was no longer able to do it because of his drinking. You see, Joe got exactly what he wanted, but it was at the expense of his self-worth and his marriage. No one would ever recommend this as a way to get your emotional needs met. In the end, a habit is bad for us if it affects the quality of our daily life. For as much as Joe got what he wanted, his life was no longer the same and had dramatically taken a turn for the worse, emotionally, physically and financially. The reinforcement loop needs to be broken so that Joe starts to learn more effective ways to get his emotional needs met (i.e. communicating with his wife instead of drinking to numb his emotions).
The Role Rewards Play in Breaking Bad HabitsFor as much as we need a strong cue and repetition to form new habits, we also need a good dose of positive rewards on the flip side when breaking bad habits. Let’s look at Joe and his alcoholism. In the early stage of breaking his habit, Joe will need a hefty dose of positive reinforcement to outweigh the alcohol addiction because his addicted mind will be screaming loudly at him to not change his behavior. Some rewards that might benefit Joe are:
These rewards also become automatic and expected. Joe becomes motivated to stay sober because he realizes he has a sense of purpose in his family, his wife listens when he talks about his needs and his kids want to be around him. Joe has a better chance at maintaining his behavior change as long as he can still feel the reward. 5 Ways to Avoid Bad Habits
1.) Listen to your emotional needs – You may be a high-achieving, driven person who’s always on the go! Go! GO! Even you need a break sometimes. Listen to your mind and body and know when to take a day (or 2 or 3) off. You and the people you are working for will appreciate that you are the best version of you, rather than a tired, bitter, over-worked one. 2.) Ask for help when you need it – Just like Joe who didn’t tell his wife he needed help because he expected her to “just know” or see that he was distressed, we can’t assume our partners can read our minds. Somewhere along the route to achievement, it seems we get instilled with the idea that asking for help is a sign of weakness and the idea of acting on the impulse gets over-shadowed by shame, guilt or pride. Don’t make Joe’s mistake and expect your partner to read your mind. No matter how much your partner loves you or how well your business partner knows you, no one is a mind-reader (and you can’t be and at them for not meeting your needs if you don’t tell them what they are). 3.) Don’t listen to that negative voice in your head – I know you know what I’m talking about. You can be on a great path to success or you can already have reached heights you never dreamed of, and yet, that little voice in the back of your mind comes creeping around the corner to tell you “you’re not good enough” or “it’s not going to last” or “everyone’s going to find out you are just faking it”. CUT. IT. OUT! At the very first inkling of that voice, pull yourself out of your head – engage in something that brings you into focus in your present environment: notice the sounds around you, make eye contact with someone, re-engage in conversation with someone. What if you’re all alone in a silent room (ala bedtime)? Tell yourself something different – tell yourself the TRUTH! You are competent! You are exactly who others think you are! You don’t have time to let negative thoughts get you down and you definitely don’t have time to have them lead to sabotaging bad habits. 4.) Do something each week that is just for you with no goal attached to it – For me, exercise keeps me sane, for others, it’s drawing, knitting, skating, singing, playing in a band, reading, cooking or any number of other things that just speak to one’s soul and lets you know that no matter how busy you think you are, there is always a few hours to be in touch with what fuels your spirit. 5.) Stay socially engaged – Just like the rats in the Rat Park study, we need connection with others. Staying socially engaged allows us the freedom to express ourselves and be heard by others, gives us a sense of community when our lives might otherwise feel isolated, and, of course, one of the biggest factors in self-sabotaging behavior and bad habits seems to be spurred by a sense of not feeling like we belong. We need to feel like we belong. Especially in the case of drug and alcohol abuse we know one of the most prevalent factors in achieving and maintaining sobriety is when one has a sense of community. Try it – Next time you’re feeling alone, reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in a while – I bet you’ll both feel better for it. The post A Guide To Erasing Bad Habits From Your Life appeared first on Everyday Power Blog. via Blogger A Guide To Erasing Bad Habits From Your Life
It’s not about having the perfect relationship, it’s about finding someone who matches you and will go through everything with you, without giving up.
via Blogger It’s not about having the perfect relationship Breaking Bad Habits Once And For All. Erasing bad habits can be very hard sometimes, especially if you do not know the right way to do so. I wrote this post from through the lens of addiction because it is so prevalent in our society and it’s one of my primary treatment focuses with my clients. I’ve seen how many people on the road to success get sabotaged by the false promises of drugs and alcohol. It’s can be tough when managing a high-stress, high-achieving life to not give in to insecurities or emotional struggles that lead to sabotaging behaviors.
Making and Breaking Habits go Hand-in-HandMaking and breaking habits are often tied together in how our mind works. We often break one habit by initiating another. For instance, quitting smoking is usually replaced by some other stress-reducing behavior like implementing a daily walking routine. There is varied data on how long it takes to initiate a new habit or break one. There is research demonstrating evidence for it taking a few weeks to almost a year to change habitual behavior. It all depends on how quickly it integrates into our routine and becomes “automatic” – like pouring your first cup of coffee or brushing your teeth in the morning. Current and popular research on habit formation points to a repetition of the behavior as well as having a cue as the antecedents to change. Looking at the implementation of a walking routine, the cue may be the time of day – i.e. upon waking up, you would get dressed an out the door within 30 minutes. If you practiced that daily, at some point you wouldn’t have to remind yourself; you would just wake and get ready to go for your walk. How do we know a habit is bad for us?We’ve known for many decades about the positive and negative reinforcement loops of engaging in behavior repetitively (think Pavlov’s dogs). Lately, a more recent, but still decades-old study is making the rounds on the internet: the Rat Park study of addiction in the 1970’s. In that study, rats were socially isolated and provided a steady stream of opiates to calm their assumed distress at living an isolated life. At a later point in time, the rats were provided a community of other rats to mingle with. They were also still provided the option of numbing themselves with the opiates, but they found that when the rats were socially supported they did not choose the drug. That leads to the question at hand: How do we know a habit is bad for us? When something reinforces us positively, we continue to do it. It has been assumed that when the rats were socially isolated, they engaged in the continued opiate use because it made their rat life more tolerable. Then, when they had other rats to play with, they no longer needed the pharmacological experience since they were now getting other positive benefits from playing with their park pals. When we explore drug abuse and reinforcement in humans, the early stage of drug and alcohol use indeed does give the user a positive effect. The initial “positive” effects of using drugs/alcohol are:
Although these are short-lived “benefits” the person who experienced them will often seek to repeat that feeling or experience, leading to repetitive engagement in that behavior. So we end up with a cue of, say, feeling insecure before a party leading to a repeated behavior of drinking before going to social events. Because the emotional payoff can be so strong, it becomes easy to overlook the early instances of “negative reinforcement” that occurs (i.e. hangovers, sexual promiscuity) and just continue engaging in the behavior we believe will give us a positive effect. Of course, as use continues, the positive effects become over-shadowed by the negative effects, but the user becomes both psychologically and physiologically dependent on them so they continue to use. There is something to be said about the negative effects that keep one in that feedback loop as well. Many addicts start to get comfortable in the role of being the one that can’t be relied upon or needing to be taken care of. When they start living in that role, their loved ones often stop putting responsibilities on them or see them as helpless due to the addiction. Their loved ones may be frustrated with them, but again, the positives outweigh the negative even when the “positive” is a ‘negative”. This starts to get convoluted and confusing, but to understand it better think of it this way: Joe began drinking because he was frustrated that he was always working so hard and felt his wife should help out more financially. Over time, Joe became less functional and his wife ended up having to get a better paying job in order to support the family because Joe was no longer able to do it because of his drinking. You see, Joe got exactly what he wanted, but it was at the expense of his self-worth and his marriage. No one would ever recommend this as a way to get your emotional needs met. In the end, a habit is bad for us if it affects the quality of our daily life. For as much as Joe got what he wanted, his life was no longer the same and had dramatically taken a turn for the worse, emotionally, physically and financially. The reinforcement loop needs to be broken so that Joe starts to learn more effective ways to get his emotional needs met (i.e. communicating with his wife instead of drinking to numb his emotions). The Role Rewards Play in Breaking Bad HabitsFor as much as we need a strong cue and repetition to form new habits, we also need a good dose of positive rewards on the flip side when breaking bad habits. Let’s look at Joe and his alcoholism. In the early stage of breaking his habit, Joe will need a hefty dose of positive reinforcement to outweigh the alcohol addiction because his addicted mind will be screaming loudly at him to not change his behavior. Some rewards that might benefit Joe are:
These rewards also become automatic and expected. Joe becomes motivated to stay sober because he realizes he has a sense of purpose in his family, his wife listens when he talks about his needs and his kids want to be around him. Joe has a better chance at maintaining his behavior change as long as he can still feel the reward. 5 Ways to Avoid Bad Habits1.) Listen to your emotional needs – You may be a high-achieving, driven person who’s always on the go! Go! GO! Even you need a break sometimes. Listen to your mind and body and know when to take a day (or 2 or 3) off. You and the people you are working for will appreciate that you are the best version of you, rather than a tired, bitter, over-worked one. 2.) Ask for help when you need it – Just like Joe who didn’t tell his wife he needed help because he expected her to “just know” or see that he was distressed, we can’t assume our partners can read our minds. Somewhere along the route to achievement, it seems we get instilled with the idea that asking for help is a sign of weakness and the idea of acting on the impulse gets over-shadowed by shame, guilt or pride. Don’t make Joe’s mistake and expect your partner to read your mind. No matter how much your partner loves you or how well your business partner knows you, no one is a mind-reader (and you can’t be and at them for not meeting your needs if you don’t tell them what they are). 3.) Don’t listen to that negative voice in your head – I know you know what I’m talking about. You can be on a great path to success or you can already have reached heights you never dreamed of, and yet, that little voice in the back of your mind comes creeping around the corner to tell you “you’re not good enough” or “it’s not going to last” or “everyone’s going to find out you are just faking it”. CUT. IT. OUT! At the very first inkling of that voice, pull yourself out of your head – engage in something that brings you into focus in your present environment: notice the sounds around you, make eye contact with someone, re-engage in conversation with someone. What if you’re all alone in a silent room (ala bedtime)? Tell yourself something different – tell yourself the TRUTH! You are competent! You are exactly who others think you are! You don’t have time to let negative thoughts get you down and you definitely don’t have time to have them lead to sabotaging bad habits. 4.) Do something each week that is just for you with no goal attached to it – For me, exercise keeps me sane, for others, it’s drawing, knitting, skating, singing, playing in a band, reading, cooking or any number of other things that just speak to one’s soul and lets you know that no matter how busy you think you are, there is always a few hours to be in touch with what fuels your spirit. 5.) Stay socially engaged – Just like the rats in the Rat Park study, we need connection with others. Staying socially engaged allows us the freedom to express ourselves and be heard by others, gives us a sense of community when our lives might otherwise feel isolated, and, of course, one of the biggest factors in self-sabotaging behavior and bad habits seems to be spurred by a sense of not feeling like we belong. We need to feel like we belong. Especially in the case of drug and alcohol abuse we know one of the most prevalent factors in achieving and maintaining sobriety is when one has a sense of community. Try it – Next time you’re feeling alone, reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in a while – I bet you’ll both feel better for it. The post A Guide To Erasing Bad Habits From Your Life appeared first on Everyday Power Blog. via Tumblr A Guide To Erasing Bad Habits From Your Life |
AuthorI love to travel world and experience other cultures, their cuisines and tradition. Travel is how I define my happiness. Archives
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