Archive for January, 2007

7 Ways You May Unknowingly Mess Up Your Life

Thursday, January 25th, 2007

You determine your future with every decision you make, but what is the basis for those decisions? Who creates this foundation on which you base your life? You are influenced by the world around you, but you can take control of how you respond to circumstances and achieve your goals. It takes effort to overcome obstacles and succeed in your life’s purpose. You must take responsibility for your life to create who you want to be. Here are 7 often overlooked ways you may relinquish that control and mess up your life. If you find your life’s train is off track, get back on. You can change every one of these today, and create a better you.

1. Letting aptitude tests tell you what to do with your life.

When I was teaching public high school, the students would talk about the “abilities” they discovered from standardized tests. I cautioned them to use it as an indicator of strengths, but not a determination of weaknesses. They still discussed surprises about what they were “not” good at, despite my admonitions. I caution you, too. For your own sake and that of your children, remember this story.

When my husband was in high school, they did the usual career testing. His guidance counselor shared the results, and designed his coursework in line with this test. It showed him to be good with his hands, especially prepared to be a mechanic or electrician. This part of the test was right. I have never met anyone more handy than he is- if it is broke, he can fix it. His dad taught him since a young age, so he knows how to build a house, he can wire up any office, he can build a computer from nothing, and fix a car. He enjoys working with circuitry, and these are respectable careers. But that is not his true passion.

He loves to debate. Not to have an argument, and not to create tension (in fact, he is a very adept mediator, and is able to create peace where there is anxiety). But he wants to take the other side, just to see how the discussion plays out. And what does he do for his career? He is an attorney (did the arguing tip you off?). But he almost never went to college.

2. Letting others determine your career future for you.

Do you take advantage of opportunities, or do you spend your time blaming others because you are not where you want to be?  Do you feel stuck in your vocation? Make a change. Start a business, go back to school, teach yourself a new skill. If you did not have the best GPA in high school, it does not mean you cannot succeed in college. Consider where you want to be and see what degree or training is required. Then set a plan. Do not let others set it for you. It is never too late to return to school. If you cannot go the traditional route, there are evening and weekend programs, and even online universities (just be careful they are accredited). You can even teach yourself a new skill- you do not have to have formal education to learn. My biggest caution starts with young people. Be sure you keep your options open.

My husband was bored in high school, so he did work-study in order to only attend half-time. He presumed, as most students do, that his career path was laid out in his best interests. Before his final year of high school, however, he realized that his career path would PREVENT him from attending college. Because he showed talent on the aptitude test for physical skills, he was set on a path not for the college-bound. His future was limited because of a test. Luckily, he took the initiative and dared to challenge these results. He thought, what if I want to go to college? He took an extra Algebra course his senior year (with the freshman who took it at the right time), in order to qualify for college entrance, and went on to succeed at a prominent business school. He did great there, too. Too often we as teachers presume that grades are indicators of ability. They are also indicators of interest. He had a GPA just good enough to get by in high school, but outstanding As in college.

3. Rejecting your religion for any reason other than you no longer believe.

If your parents forced their religion on you, get past it. You are not alone. Religion (including the belief in absense of religion) is usually a strong core value and parents most often cannot help but try to share this with their children. As a Christian, for example, I want my children to learn about God and the Bible, and to love it. But misguided parents often shove their children full of rules and regulations without the loving context, and create disdain for their beliefs. People are not perfect. Are you ignoring a tug to believe, or are you bitter to even consider the option, simply because you are upset at how the idea of God was first delivered? Heal your wounds, mend family relationships, get past bitterness, and be sure what you believe is really representative of yourself, rather than a reaction to actions of others.

Have you ever been misrepresented? There are horrible crimes committed by people of every faith and belief system. There are, unfortunately, preachers and teachers of most every value system whose sole purpose is to get your money. When people who tell others about God act against what they say they believe, they misrepresent God. People see this and misjudge who God is. It is not God who is imperfect, but it is the messenger. Are you rejecting religion because of hypocrasy? Guard your heart and use wisdom in where you place your trust, but be sure you do not dismiss God and your religion soley because someone hurt you. Do not give that person the power to steer your spiritual life. Do it yourself.

4. Interpreting rejection as personal failure.

I will be rejected, and I am glad. If I were accepted by everyone all the time, it would mean I have no substance: I would only be what everyone wanted at any given moment. Instead, I am proud of myself, failures and all. Rejection is just one way of knowing that this piece of the puzzle does not fit. Time to move on to the next piece. If you stop trying, the puzzle will never show the masterpiece of art its image was designed to portray. Have you lost clients? Did you get passed over for a promotion? Has a relationship ended? The loss of status, the loss of what you consider success, and the loss of intimacy hurts. In hindsight, you can usually note ways the outcome could have been different. “If only I had…”. Do not berate yourself over the loss, but use it to assess yourself. Can you see an area for change? Then change it and create a better you. Was it just a bad fit? Then pick up and move on. Keep your focus and do not give up, and you will achieve your goals and succeed.

5. Accepting negative messages as unchangable and true.

How do you encourage yourself? If you listen to what messages you allow into your thoughts, are they positive, helpful, and constructive, or are you sabotaging your success? Treat yourself as you would treat others. Negative messages should be acted on (if you need to change) and then put aside. Think on the positives and focus on how you CAN do it! Your thoughts create self-fulfilling prophecies. Make them great ones.

6. Letting your pride prevent your growth.

How have you grown this year? Are you so confident in your abilities that you are unteachable? If you are a parent, are you finding ways to make your children’s world better? As a spouse, are you working on your marriage, keeping up momentum, or just letting it coast along? It will only coast so far until it loses altitude. Give it a lift. Are you open to personal development? There are always ways to improve, and to be a better you. “Pride goeth before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18. Do not let your pride stop you from maturing.

7. Allowing your habits to control you.

We all have habits. Families develop them together, and then you grow up and continue on, adding new ones along the way. Some are beneficial, and others drain your energy. Are there any negative or destructive habits in your life? You should control your lifestyle. Are you in control of your habits, or are they controlling you? Sometimes you may not realize how much your life would be different if you changed even one habit. Consider it, and be sure you know what your habits are, and how they affect you. Ask a friend if you are not sure. Be sure it is someone who will be honest. You may be surprised.

Become aware of what influences you and how you make decisions, and become a better you.

Patricia

Posted in Blogroll, attitude, business, change, christianity, courageous living, family, goals, influence & purpose, marriage, motivation, parenting, personal development, productivity, relationships, spirituality, success, wealth & income, work & career | 17 Comments »

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Thursday, January 18th, 2007

When you allow negative messages to invade your mind, you are creating self-fulfilling prophecies that will slow you down and turn success into failure. You react or respond to life based not on each situation you face, but on your perception of each situation. Your perception of circumstances is created in your mind. Are you a person who tends to see the glass of milk as half empty or half full?

Why does it really matter? Negativism attracts negative things. Your life is fulfilling the predictions you embrace. Will they be the negative messages, or will you choose to live out the positive ones and be happy, successful, and free? It is an intentional decision to ignore or overwrite negative messages, and a deliberate stance to take on life half full. It is not easy, but with strength and a positive attitude, you can do it. If you are not strong enough, draw strength from God and become strong enough. Learn what messages are guiding your journey, and intentionally encourage yourself with a positive mindset. The life you dream to create depends on it.

A self-fulfilling prophecy is where a belief (often false) is accepted as truth, and in stating it, becomes true. One classic example of this is portrayed on most television sitcoms and appears in many novels. The typical scenario, which I recently viewed on an old series (in black and white, to indicate how old), shows the main character receiving a chain letter. For those who have never had a “friend” send you one, it is a letter that requires you to send it on to a few more of your friends, and often to send money to someone. The letter states that bad luck will befall anyone who does not participate.

In the show, the main character receives this letter, and throws it in the trash, despite wondering if it could be true. He then begins the self-fulfilling prophecy. Rather than continue the relaxing and productive day he was enjoying, he now expects to see bad luck happen in every experience. He looks around for danger while walking, so much so that he trips over something by his feet. He is so defensive at every comment since he expects bad news, that he attracts a bad reaction from those he greets. He is so scared and suspicious that he appears rude in conversations, and consequently offends those he cares about the most.

Suddenly, he realizes the prophecy from the letter was true. It was, however, not the letter, but his perception of the letter that created this mess. He believed its false claim, and in doing so, created its prediction. Whatever you think about creates what you experience. In this respect, we are all living out self-fulfilling prophecies, because whatever your perception of reality, whatever thoughts you accept as true, will lead you. You attract negative things by focusing on the negative– that is part of the law of attraction.

I believe the law of attraction is sometimes taken to the extreme. As I understand it, there are those who suggest a deadly car accident can be avoided if you only think positively and therefore “attract” only positive things. While you can certainly control how much you focus on the road, how distracted you are when in a rush, and whether you are choosing a safe road to take, you can never “attract” a drunk driver to hit you from nowhere. This message creates false comfort. It would be nice to believe that bad things could never happen if you just think them out of existence, or pray them out of your life circle, but life does not work that way. You can live in that bubble of safety for a while, but eventually you will be shaken out of it, and wonder where your feet will land. Instead, keep your feet on solid ground. Know who you are, how to handle the storms of change and adversity, and attract the good and create the positive wherever you do have control. You can be at peace in the uncertainty knowing you have the tools necessary to handle life’s tides, and you know where to turn for strength.

The law of attraction has some great applications to life, and when viewed in balance, its roots can be found in the Bible. In Romans 12:2 it says “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind” and Proverbs 23:7 says that “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” (NIV). You were created with a mind and a will to determine what you embrace and what you eliminate from your thoughts. A child repeatedly told horrible things usually internalizes the messages as true. At some point, that child will grow up and learn there are other messages available. You must decide what to believe.

Where do you find the positive messages, and do you still hang on to the negative ones? Notice the term is “self”-fulfilling prophecy. Whose prophecy are you really fulfilling, are you believing false messages about yourself and creating your own misery? As an adult, you are responsible for the message that drives you. Are you around those who constantly berate you? Tell them to stop. Do you accept statements from others as true, or talk to yourself in a condescending manner? Confident people may more easily dismiss harsh insults from those distant contacts, but when uttered from close loved ones, it becomes even more difficult to keep from accepting them as truth. The hardest to fight of all is when you tell it to yourself. Are you your own worst critic?

Maybe these sound familiar: you are stupid, you will never amount to anything, you can’t make it, how could you have even thought you could succeed, you should have known better, why did you even try, what an embarrassment you are, you are ugly, worthless, unintelligent, incapable, and a failure. These cut deep wounds in your spirit, and it takes intent to replace them with positive truths.

Most people have a set of these to fight. In overcoming my eating disorder many years ago, I had to replace all the negative messages I bombarded myself with constantly, and I now live free of this mental harassment. I care about myself enough to treat me as a friend. Do you? I had to really learn about my purpose in life and how much love God has for me to make this life-altering change. I had friends who reinforced this, and I still know who to talk with when I need encouragement. Do you have time with God, time with positive friends, a place to go to help you change your perspective on a situation? Where do you draw your strength, and where do you find the positive messages? You can achieve your goals in business, you can get your degree, you can have a loving relationship, you can change your life, if you only believe it. Positive thoughts fuel success.

A positive outlook makes the difference between a quitter and a success. The determined intend success and keep going despite obstacles. Successful people believe in themselves and their dreams, and persevere. They dwell on positive thoughts, and attract the truth they believe. If you are determined, you find a way to make it happen because you believe that you CAN. If you believe that you cannot, you will not. There is always a way. It may be difficult, it may be different than you had originally planned, you may have to adapt to the unfamiliar, but if you are focused and think positively, you can achieve your goals. Do you believe it? Decide you can do it, and attract success. You create your dream future. Start today.

Posted in Blogroll, attitude, balance, business, change, christianity, confidence & self-esteem, courageous living, family, life philosophy, marriage, parenting, personal development, relationships, spirituality, success | 27 Comments »

What Matters Most: Lessons From A Tornado

Saturday, January 13th, 2007

What really matters in your life? Do you struggle with worry? I struggled for years wondering “what if”. Then, I deliberately changed my focus and habits, and improved considerably. But a tornado showed me how to really let go, and changed my life. Here is how I learned what really matters.

A few years ago my husband’s office was damaged by a tornado, and the same storm brought one dangerously close to our house. We get tornados here every year, but most do no damage, unlike other parts of the country. I grew up without much weather change year-round, and with earthquakes as the biggest threat.

Now, I have lived where the weather changes frequently for many years, but I am still just trying to figure out all the different terms for types of rain (for example, different words for if it is frozen in the clouds, or only on the way down). My husband grew up here and loves to study the weather, and we listen on his scanner to the storm-spotters whenever dangerous conditions are present.

This particular day, he closed his office down early in order to get home before the storm hit. He knew something was up. He could see it in the sky, and the radar confirmed his feeling that something was different this time. With modern technology, I like to think we will always have a warning before a tornado hits. There is, however, no guarantee. We have so many storms that “could” produce severe threats, that we often only pay attention once we see a threat manifest somewhere nearby. It is also possible for a tornado to hit before we even have time to act. I choose to dwell on the positive, however.

What happens when we do have warning? We take action by gathering in the safest part of our home to wait out the storm. We really should have a basement. Most homes around here do not, but I would feel safer with a basement or storm shelter for refuge instead of just the most inner part of our home. There is an eerie feeling wondering if your home will make it through the night. Realistically we hide in this room only once or twice a year, but it is memorable. You can learn a lot about priorities from moments like these.

When I hear the storm-spotter say “there is lowering in the clouds”, I know a funnel has dropped and a tornado could touch down at any time. At this moment, what matters most?

1. Prayer- When it is coming towards our home, as it did this same day, my first action is to pray. This extends to your daily life. Is your spiritual life active and fulfilling? Allow God to encourage, comfort, and strengthen you every day as you face what comes.

2. People- I comfort my children with hugs, and scoop them to safety. I quickly place them in our safe room, and distract them with happy rain songs. I try to get my husband to stay in there with us, but he prefers to try and see the tornado if it comes. In fact, I remember the first time he jumped in there with us for a moment- I knew it was pretty close for that to happen. I was glad he was there with us. What people matter most in your life, and how do you show it?

3. Prep Pack- I used to live with earthquakes, and despite hearing about the importance of an emergency kit in your trunk, I never created one. Now as a parent, my third thought is meeting the basic needs of my children in a worst-case scenario (I do not really think this would ever happen, but no one ever does, so I still pack). I pack whatever basics I have time to grab. One time after getting the kids to safety I started to leave the room and I heard the storm-spotter mention that a funnel was hanging over a street only one block away- I changed my mind. Most other times, however, I take just a minute to make a prep pack. I find the nearest duffle bag and throw in whatever my children need for the next 2 days. Usually a change of clothes, diapers, baby food, and some packaged foods and drinks they could easily eat. I also throw in the first aid kit.

While you may have a literal prep pack in your trunk, what is your figurative one? In life, what is the minimum needs you have to function, to achieve, to dream, to create every day? You need to make it to work to pay the bills, go to the store to get food to eat, and run other errands that are essential (get supplies to fix what breaks, etc.). What about emotionally? Do you need daily encouragement, quiet time, exercise, an outlet? Do you meet your basic needs or are you hurting from neglect?

4. Passion-If it looks like a false alarm, or we have time, I grab what holds my passion. Most of my children’s photos come from a digital camera, so I grab my laptop. It also has my dissertation work, website articles, and some other important files. Before we had children I would grab my wedding album, but since it is so big, I now save the space for the children and their needs. I love my husband and if the photos were lost that would never change (and hopefully the photographer might still have them archived from almost a decade ago).

In your life, what is your passion? What would you grab if you could save it from a house fire, tornado, or other destruction? What would you hold on to in your life if you could, that is good for you, and why? These matter.

The next day something magical happened. After the previous night’s storm, I suddenly had no worries. I was truly free. I worked harder, focused on my priorities, and did what was before me. I created the best me for that day, and let the results happen as they do. I could not believe how much that experience changed me. What was left after number 1-4 was nothing worth my worry. I had an aerial view and could see the stress was not worth its toll. I was a new person, and I continue to remind myself of what I learned from that tornado.

Live for what matters. Worry never accomplishes anything, and prevents many things. Live in each moment so worry does not ruin your health and stifle your success. Live each day as if it were your last, but live each moment as if your future was bright and productive. What event in your life rearranged your perspective on priorities? A near-miss car accident? A weather event? A health scare? Let it teach you and change you into a better you.

Posted in change, christianity, confidence & self-esteem, conquering fear, family, goals, life philosophy, marriage, parenting, personal development, productivity, relationships, spirituality, time management | 11 Comments »

10 Reasons NOT To Give Up TV

Thursday, January 4th, 2007

Did you know television can create a better you? It is a tool, and what you get from it depends on how you use it. Many are throwing out the TV in hopes of having a calmer life- great for them. I find, however, there is something to be missed. TV can be used to help you laugh, to help you learn, to help you create, and to help you relax. It can waste away your precious minutes, or be used selectively to inspire you to greatness. Act as if the TV is gone, live as if it is not a priority, but selectively incorporate it into your moments in ways that make you better. While browsing TV in trying to keep my weary eyes awake with my little ones at all hours, I have discovered these 10 gems among the junk. Share yours in the comments section below. Most of these shows have corresponding websites to spark your imagination. Enjoy!

1. How It’s Made, The Science Channel. Do you remember watching a quick segment in some Sesame Street episodes where they show how crayons (and other things) are made? Maybe you saw this with your children, or watched it yourself as a child. Here is the grown-up version. This show is great. Have you ever wondered how they make jeans, bread, batteries, bathtubs, nylons, band aids, or bicycles? This list is just the beginning. In just a few minutes each item is made (they do many items per episode). When I see the mysteries behind each item revealed, I know more how the world works. I think of the ingenuity it took to invent, and I am inspired. I do not work with steel or plastic, but I create with words. I want to contribute too. How do you create? What are your strengths?

2. Myth Busters, The Discovery Channel. If a cable tension snaps, can it really slice a person in two? Is playdoh really a wallpaper cleaner? Is it true you cannot make a concrete glider fly? Is it possible for a whirlpool somewhere on earth to suck whole ships to a watery grave? Can you stop your windshield from shattering, from a rock shot at it by a passing vehicle, by bracing the window with your hand? Watch these guys build engines and other contraptions from scratch, testing every myth you can imagine. One episode I would like to see: #57- Is the internet phenomenon true, that mixing diet cola and Mentos will create an explosion (do not try this at home)? Also, is it true a postage stamp stuck on the rotor blades will send a helicopter into a tailspin? My husband introduced me to this show, and I am intrigued at the way they come up with their tests. It makes me a more eclectic person, and I definitely know more useful trivia (for instance, do not count on jumping in a falling elevator- you will still die).

3. Flip That House, The Learning Channel. This show inspires the entrepreneur in you. Sit back and get ready to wonder how to branch out your own business, or how to start one (where you set your own hours). You may want to run out and buy property, but you learn that to flip, you had better know your stuff. Buyers purchase property in need of repair, and within a few weeks to a few months, restore or “flip” it for sale and hopefully a profit. The risk is in the money: will the home buyers succeed despite the changing market and unexpected expenses? There are similar series on other channels, but I like how this one sums up the results: what did the house sell for, and what was the profit? It can be a thrill ride to watch. There are other home improvement shows on TV, from decorating, to gardening, to fixing most things yourself.

4. Iron Chef America, Food Network. I like competition. I especially like it when I get to watch others sweat. I do enough risks in my own life. It is encouraging to watch others work hard using their God-given talents, and to be amazed by their skills. It relaxes me, and teaches me. This show (taken from the original Japanese version Iron Chef) places a top chef “Iron Chef” against a challenger. They are given one hour in Kitchen Stadium to cook several dishes to impress judges. The catch? They have to be around one theme. One time it was Cranberries. Once I saw “Battle Citrus”. The dishes are breathtaking. I can cook, but they create. Cooking is not one of my strengths, and it is hard to find foods we all like.  After watching this show, I now try to brighten up foods I cook with color, and vary the texture. Other shows on the Food Network are great too, like Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals, but I like the competition ones the best. There are pastry and other cooking competitions at different times. This channel is gathering a younger audience now with its variety- some say it is the new MTV.

5. Digging For The Truth, The History Channel. For the Indiana Jones enthusiast (or Tomb Raider, or pick your adventure movie), this is an amazing find. Watch the host trek through the Amazon, dig in a dessert, or search through ruins for secrets to the past. It is a history lesson in a creative and engaging form.

6. Dirty Jobs, The Discovery Channel. Do not watch this show while you eat. I am not sure exactly why I like this show, but I do. When I first saw it, I was repulsed. Then intrigued. They show the host joining in on the most dirty yet vital jobs available. It helps you appreciate not working in the freezing cold, not covered in sludge, not stuck near bugs all day. It also helps you appreciate those who do. You will leave with a new perspective on the job you call your own.

7. Unwrapped, The Food Network. This is similar to #1, but it is all about food. Come see the process behind peanut butter, chocolate syrup, boxed lunches, or bubble gum. Watch favorite foods unwrapped and secrets revealed. I am intrigued by how fast the automated machines work, watching them in motion. It also makes me sad to think of those out of work due to changing automation. The world changes, however, and we must adapt. The secret is to always strive, to keep learning, and improving yourself. I now know how the marshmallows in your cereal get there!

8. Dora The Explorer, Blue’s Clues (Nick), and The Upside Down Show (Noggin). TV is not a babysitter, for you or for your children. Many, if not most, of children’s shows teach very little except the bad habit of sitting still. For an occasional entertainment show, however, these are great. Dora teaches Spanish and exploring, Blue’s Clues teaches some sign language and solving puzzles, and the new Upside Down Show teaches prepositions (above, below, under, over, etc.). As an educator, I like one thing these all have in common: they encourage the viewer to get involved. Dora and Blue have you answer questions and help solve riddles, and the Upside Down Show has you use the remote to change the screen. It is clever, and gets my children moving, laughing, and learning.

9. The West Wing and Gilmore Girls. I admit an indulgence. While nursing my infants over the years, I have had to keep the room dark (no reading), and I needed to stay awake. I discovered reruns of The West Wing. I know someone who once worked in the West Wing, and indicated this is a realistic portrayal. The reviewers agree. It is interesting to see the inner workings of my country’s government dramatized in this manner. I also discovered reruns of Gilmore Girls, about mothers and daughters, small town living, and life. Sometimes the dialogue could be better, and the later episodes are not as well-written as the early ones in my opinion, but I admit this show is a great form of temporary entertainment. There are many legal, medical, and reality TV shows on too. I flip past some. No new series has caught my interest as of yet. Mostly I avoid TV for recreation. Occasionally, I get invested in the character development and am interested in where it leads. Feeling the emotions of living, loving, and learning through shows is a great release of your own emotions and can be cathartic, when done in moderation.

10. Jaywalking and Headlines from the Jay Leno Show (and any other comedy that sparks my interest). I leave you with humor as number 10. It is healthy to laugh. Find your fun. I do not have time nor inclination to watch a talk show, but I do try to catch Jaywalking when it airs. This is where the host interviews people on the street with questions everyone should know, but many will miss. The answers are humorous, which is odd coming from me, a professor, since they reflect failures in our education system (someone from the United States does not know our first President?). Headlines are done once a week and are funny mistakes from newspapers, programs, or other print media sent in by viewers. These jokes are all done near the start of his show, so they are easy to find. Laughter helps you relax and unwind from the day.

The Food Network also has a show Ham On The Street, and while I have only caught a few minutes, it was hilarious. I cannot vouch for the show (maybe someone here has seen it more), but I saw a part where he fried a brownie and tried to get someone off the street to eat it, and left a chocolate cake for anyone to take. He also tried stuffing hotdogs with almost any kind of food (chocolate, pickles, candy maybe?) using hardware supplies, and got people on the street to do a taste test. Funny stuff. Also, for those who like other comedy shows, but do not want the language in their home, there are devices that you can purchase ($50-$100) that will edit out the swearing of most shows with captions.

Learn, imagine, get intrigued, unwind, and laugh. What is worth it in your TV? What shows make a better you?

Patricia

Posted in Blogroll, attitude, balance, business, christianity, confidence & self-esteem, family, humor, marriage, parenting, personal development, play, productivity, success, time management, wealth & income, work & career | 24 Comments »

Word Is Spreading

Thursday, January 4th, 2007

2006 was a great year for this blog. I wrote my first article in August, and since then you have given me the opportunity to encourage and motivate more people. I appreciate each of you visiting, and your willingness to share with others what inspires you. Soon after the blog began, I was interviewed for this magazine about Health, Attitude, and Determination. While it appears it may now be out of print (after hiring Christie Brinkley for the cover?), it was a great honor to be considered for circulation. Since then, I notice new blogs referencing these articles almost daily. It is exciting to see how each person is creating a better you!

This last month brought a considerable amount of new visitors again, so I wanted to remind everyone that the archive section can be a great resource for finding what interests you. These articles are for those who desire to live happy, healthy, successful, and free. Each article will follow the central theme “you can do it”! Failure is only a stepping stone to success. Your attitude, the law of attraction, your character, fulfilling God’s purpose for you, and determination are all central to living without regret. Thanks to those who have joined us as commenters, and I want to remind everyone that comments are now on for both new and old posts.

In an earlier post I mentioned statistics, and I was doing monthly updates, but I have moved that data here in a clearer graph form. Here is a snapshot of our Awstats for 2006:

blog2006stats.JPG

In the first 3 months unique visitors increased almost 500% and 400%. The final two months shows that the blog is not ready to level off, but rather continues to increase. From Oct. to Nov. new visitors increased again another 144% from the already high Oct. stats, and Nov. to Dec. another 157% from the high Nov. count.  In just under 5 months, there are already almost 1.5 million hits!  I also added a place to sign up for a Newsletter, and the subscription base is growing every day. The first issue will probably be sometime this spring.

A Better You Blog is ranked approximately 37,000 in Technorati’s blog ranking system of over 50 million blogs (as of today’s date), is climbing with each Technorati update, and has just made it into the top 100,000 blogs in the Alexa ranking (though I realize that Alexa is only an indicator and not entirely determinative since it only counts those visits with the toolbar installed).

In addition to visits to my site, I continue to have new subscriptions to my feeds through feedburner (though I am not sure how to read the fluctuations, since the subscriber base will drop by a hundred one day, then back up another hundred and fifty the next from where it was-the net result is a steady climb, so I read it as good).  If you prefer to read all your news in one place, subscribe to these articles by clicking on the orange feedburner button at the top of the left column, or on any RSS link.  You can also sign up for email updates. 

I will do an update again in probably 6 months, but for now, welcome to all of you new to this place. Here you will find free and original articles with frequent new additions to help you in all aspects of your business and life. Welcome and thanks to those who have been here from the start. Thank you for spreading the word, and keep it up! Thank you also to the many Blog Carnivals (carnival index) that highlight my articles. You can also find many of their links in the comments section after each post.

Get ready to be the best you possible. May you all continue to visit here often, and always find something to help leave here a better you.

Patricia

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