Tag: peace (page 1 of 2)

Life Truths: 13 Statements to Change Your Thinking

This is a list of simple life truths I found from a book – Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley. These statements reveal the simplicity and truth of living.

These truths should remind you on what life is really all about. No need to overcomplicate things. These truths might feel radical or religious, but the most radical truths are really simple ones.

Life Truths

Life Truths

  1. God is real. He loves you.

The Creator and Mastermind of the Universe loves you.

Everything happens for a reason. Every move you have made in your life. The freewill you receive to make your decisions. He loves you so you can willingly love him back.

It is because God cares for you.

  1. Good and evil exist. Good will win.

Light will always overcome darkness.

This is set in stone. You are salt and light, constantly facing the trials and tribulations in your life. Triumphs will be at the end of your tunnels.

Because you are good. And Good will always win.

  1. You are made in the image of God.

This is why man’s wants are insatiable.

You always want more.  It is why you want to leave a legacy and change the lives of people around you. This is the secret on why you crave to be appreciated and valued.

You want to achieve God hood.

  1. You are also fallen.

You are still human.

Mistakes will always happen. Imperfection and procrastination still creeps in. It’s the demerits of being human.

Your fragility is a result of man’s fall a long time ago.

  1. Jesus died for you. He also rose for you.

This is the celebration of Easter.

It was all because of you. He rose to eliminate your fall.

  1. God’s world is beautiful. We are tasked with caring for it.

The famous hymn – All things bright and beautiful perfectly captures this truth about life.

Keep appreciating nature and everything around you. Protect all things bright and beautiful. Preserve all creatures great and small.

You are the ultimate caretaker.

  1. Men and women exist.

You are not alone.

Fully embrace the fact that everyone from your family, friends to even strangers, has their own life story and experiences as vivid and complex as your own. Treat everyone equally with your full attention and respect.

It is why the Golden Rule exists – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

  1. Families happen when we unite.

Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.

They are like building blocks of a healthy world; we should try to keep them together, and not topple them over.

  1. Prayer is real; it changes you as much as it changes the world.

Prayer is your key to God’s door.

When you spend time with Him in prayer, you realize how powerful and able and good God is and how much you need him. This equips you for the battles you face every day.

Most importantly, prayer does not change God. It changes you.

  1. Life is hard, but God is with you.

No matter who you are, you have had your difficult times.

Life is hard because the world is broken, with so many people trying to ruin it for you. There’s hope because there is someone greater than every hardship. This person is victorious over every pain, and he is ready to walk with you through hard times.

Life becomes easy when you are one with God.

  1. Suffering will happen, but it will sanctify you.

As the saying goes – What does not kill you makes you stronger.

By going through difficult experiences, you build up your strength for your next battles. Even researchers found that early-career failure promotes future professional success. Whether you like it or not, you feel more brave and stronger after facing tough situations.

There is value in failure.

  1. Love is not a feeling, it is a sacrifice, usually in small things.

Love is an action word.

Be patient, kind and do not be envious. Do not dishonour others or angry all the time – rather be selfless, calm, and ready to forgive anyone. Always trust, hope, and persevere.

This is what it means to love.

  1. God loves you, period.

Your good deeds won’t change that; your bad deeds won’t change that.

These are the life-altering paradigms that come in just a couple of words.

The rest of your life is about living these truths, so it will be powerful to find a moment each day to just say one of them loud.

People Magnet: Four Quick Ways to be Liked by Others

To be a people magnet is to acknowledge that your happiness and success at work can be strongly influenced by how well-liked you are by others.

People that are likable are regularly better at influencing others—whether it’s convincing coworkers, winning over ideas, or boosting team spirit. Stronger, deeper connections with others can also be nurtured by your likability, and this results in sustaining friendships and partnerships.

Be a People Magnet

Be a People Magnet

Here are the four quick ways to make people like you:

1. Smile to make a great first impression

First impression matters.

And the quickest way to make a great first impression is to give a wide smile. Smiling makes you look friendly and approachable.

A smile says to the other person, ‘I am glad to see you. You make me happy. I always enjoy your company.”

The clothes you wear is not nearly as important as the expression on your face.

WHAT ABOUT THE DAYS YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE SMILING?

Force yourself to smile when you are first alone. Act as if you are already happy, and this will make you happy as well. You are only happy when you choose to be happy.

Then smile afterwards. Your smile is a way of expressing your kindness. Everyone who sees your smile will feel happier around you too.

2. Remember people’s names to make them feel important.

Do you know the average person is more interested in his or her own name than all other names combined?

Former U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt confirms that remembering names is one of the easiest, most evident, and most significant ways to win people over. When you remember that name and call it easily, you have paid a subtle and impactful compliment to that person.

The ability to recall names is nearly as crucial in social and professional interactions as it is in politics.

HOW TO REMEMBER THE NAMES OF PEOPLE

If you are hearing a person’s name clearly for the first time, ask – “I am sorry, I did not hear your name clearly, can you say it again?”  If the name is not common, ask the person to spell it out. Then write the name on your phone or a piece of paper.

Make the effort to repeat the name multiple times during the conversation and try to mentally connect it to the person’s features, expression, and overall look. This technique was successfully used by Napoleon the Third.

And it works till now!

 SAYING THEIR NAME MAKES YOU A BETTER PEOPLE MAGNET

The person’s name distinguishes them from others and makes them special.

This means that when we address situations with the person’s name, the information we are providing or the request we are making assumes a special significance. It puts you at a sharp advantage for them to like you. This is what makes you a people magnet.

Recognize the power of a name and understand that the only owner of this particular asset is the person we are interacting with. No one else.

3. Listen deeply and encourage people to talk about themselves.

This is a simple method to improve your conversation skills.

Many people don’t listen deeply, which prevents them from leaving a positive impression. They don’t keep their ears open because they are too worried about what they will say next. Studies show that the most influential people value attentive listeners more than talkers. However, listening skills appear to be more uncommon than nearly any other positive quality.

It is essential that you give the person speaking to you your whole attention. Nothing else is so pleasing as that.

A person’s toothache means more to that person than a famine in China which kills a million people. A boil on one’s neck interests one more than forty earthquakes in Africa. Think of that the next time you start a conversation – Dale Carnegie

HOW TO BE A GOOD CONVERSATIONALIST

Be a focused listener if you want to be a good conversationalist. Be interested to be interesting.

Ask questions that other persons will enjoy answering. Invite them to share about their experiences and achievements.

Even the most violent critic will often become gentler and quiet when they are around a patient, understanding listener.

4. Develop a sincere interest in other people.

By showing genuine interest in other people, you can make more friends in one month than you can by trying to pique their interest in you over the course of a year.

If you want to make friends, you must put yourself out there to do things for other people – things that require time: energy, unselfishness, and thoughtfulness. Being genuinely interested in other people not only makes you friends but also fosters a sense of loyalty if you run a business or building a professional career.

This is also the only means for the other ways to work fine for you in the long run.

HOW TO DEVELOP SINCERE INTEREST IN OTHER PEOPLE

Speaking with someone about the things they value most is the best way to winning their heart.

Mention the interests of the other person when you speak. Look for things you both have in common, like hobbies or life experiences.  Ask follow-up questions, nod in agreement, and express enthusiasm in the topics they are talking about.

Always bring the focus of the conversation back to the other person.

Talk to people about themselves and they will listen for hours.” – Benjamin Disraeli.

Greet people with enthusiasm and energy as well.

Also use the same mentality when someone calls you on the phone. Say “Hello” in a tone that conveys your happiness that they have called.

This is a fantastic way to build rapport, make them feel valued, and create a more engaging conversation.

READ PREVIOUS ARTICLE – PROSOCIAL: HOW EVERYONE SHOULD OPTIMIZE THEIR RELATIONSHIPS

Solitude: The Only Validation You Need is Within Yourself

What runs through your mind when you see or hear this word? For most people, they define solitude as loneliness, sadness or even depression. In a way, they are right. The word Solitude originally comes from the Latin word solus which means alone.

Yet, there is a big difference between being alone and being lonely. Loneliness is a negative state of isolation. On the other hand, solitude is a positive state where you choose yourself.

Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self

May Sarton

In a world of overwhelming information and search for public validation; solitude is now more important than ever. Everyone seeks to grab your attention ranging from obsessive ads from companies and internet entrepreneurs to a casual friend asking you to hang out. You must have had your own fair share of these attention stealers.

WHAT ABOUT PUBLIC VALIDATION?

What about public validation? This comes from you. It is the tendency to seek attention from others. The compulsive need to gain likes and shares on your social media posts. The need to be adored by a special partner. Or even the urge to constantly gain favour and approval from your seniors, peers and juniors. Yes, you must have had your own fair share of seeking public validation too.

It’s easy to stand in the crowd but it takes courage to stand alone.

Mahatma Gandhi

These things are not bad. Adverts inform you about certain products. A casual hangout can lead to influential relationships in the long run. Even those likes and shares increase awareness about your brand or business. However, when these activities distract you from the things that matter most, that is when the problems start.

This is where the practice of solitude comes in.

Without solitude, no plant or animal can survive, no soil can remain productive, no child can learn about life, no artist can create, no work can grow and be transformed.

Paulo Coelho, manuscript found in Accra
Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger from Pexels

WHY YOU NEED SOLITUDE

Knowing yourself gives room for reflection. It is the only time you can give honest feedback and seek ways to improve your talent and work ethic. Solitude actually enhances creativity and productivity too.

Without great solitude, no serious work is possible.

Pablo Picasso

Practising solitude also gives you the opportunity to know yourself more. Mental strength, empathy is best built in this optimized state of knowing yourself. In this state, you make independent decisions free of external influences. These decisions help you develop more insights into becoming a better person in varying aspects of your life.

Solitude is not the absence of company, but the moment when our soul is free to speak to us and help us decide what to do with our life.

Paulo Coelho, Manuscript found in Accra

HOW TO KNOW YOURSELF BETTER

There are different ways to practice solitude and know yourself better. Here are five major ways I have tried and these steps are highly recommended too:

  • Communicate and pray to the Creator. This allows you to build a personal relationship with God.
  • Meditate. This sounds like an ancient technique, but there are now modern apps for meditation. (I have used the Calm app and it worked really well. It is available on app stores)
  • Read books. Books are little powerhouses of knowledge. Learn to apply knowledge got from these books into your life.
  • Take a personality test. This is science’s way of knowing your strengths and areas you can improve. You can take one of these tests via this LINK
  • Journal and jot down your thoughts. This gives you clarity and a sense of organization around your activities (I wrote an article on how to journal perfectly: Journaling: How To Constantly Channel and Control Your Thoughts)

Yeah, you made it to the end. Practice solitude, know yourself more and you will definitely see the world differently.