10 Quotes About Failure for a Different Perspective of the Word

1 .“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”   - Winston Churchill

2. “It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” - Theodore Roosevelt

3. “If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.”   - H.G. Wells

4. “If we will be quiet and ready enough, we shall find compensation in every disappointment.” -Henry David Thoreau

5. "Failure is an experience, not a definition." - T. Zugger

6. “We are all failures- at least the best of us are.” -J.M. Barrie

7. “Success is determined not by whether or not you face obstacles, but by your reaction to them. And if you look at these obstacles as a containing fence, they become your excuse for failure. If you look at them as a hurdle, each one strengthens you for the next.”   -  Ben Carson

8. “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.” - Henry Ford.

9. “The only guarantee for failure is to stop trying” - John C. Maxwell

10. “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.”   - Napoleon Hill


There is my list of failure quotes that shine a bit of a different perspective on the ominous word; failure.  It is my belief that people hold such a stereotypical view of these words; success, failure, millionaire.  It is quite foolish.  Success is what you make of it.  Failure is a learning experience.  They are just words all of your thoughts about those words are preconceived ideas you hold on to like some unattainable goal.

Here is my advice.  Success can never be reached only achieved.  Failure can only be learned from or hidden away.  Take the best out of the situations in your life and be happy with what you have and you will feel like a success.   The only time you start to feel like a failure is when you compare yourself to others, which is never wise.

So if you are looking for a book to read about these principles my book will be available on December 17.  Success Through Failure, you can find it on our website.

www.attitudedriveslife.com

10 Ways to Make Friends

 

These 10 ways to make friends work even without making use of the Internet. It can be a daunting task to make friends when you are an adult out on your own; for a while it may feel like you are dating for friends or interviewing people for a position. It's okay to feel that way; it's good to be selective about who you decide will get to have that "friend" status in your life. Try the following tips and you'll find friends in no time.

1.Take a Class
Perhaps one of the easiest ways to find friends is to take a class where there will be plenty of interaction with other people, doing something that interests you. Check out your community newspaper or Web sites for classes on everything from how to build model airplanes to how to paint with acrylics. The other people taking the class are most likely also there to make friends, so you'll be in fertile friend-making ground.

2.Join a Team
Like the class environment, a sports team is another way to look for potential friends while taking care of your body. Sports teams of various levels are available for just about any sport you could possibly find interesting. After practice, suggest the group of you go out for a smoothie or a beer so you can get to know each other.

3.Volunteer
If you are passionate about a cause, you may want to make friends through volunteer venues. Consider the following volunteer opportunities: the local zoo or humane society, a food shelf, a homeless shelter, hospice or at your child's school. While volunteering, you'll meet other like-minded individuals with similar interests.

4.Attend a Religious Service
Churches and synagogues usually have social groups organized specifically to help their members develop friendships. Check out your local religious organization of your faith and ask what social activities are provided.

5.Meet Your Children's Parents
If you have children, you have an instant connection with other parents. Initiate conversation with other moms and dads, and invite them in for a cup of coffee during a play date for your child. You'll have lots to talk about since you both have children.

6.Be Friendly
This may sound obvious, but you'll be surprised how many people don't understand what it means to truly be friendly. You want to come across as warm, approachable and empathetic. This means you may need to smile more than you are comfortable doing, and will need to be affirming in your speech and body language. If people are not responding positively to you, check yourself out in a mirror to make sure you are coming across as warm and kind, not cool and aloof.

7.Take Care of Your Appearance
Your appearance is the first thing people notice about you, so make sure you are dressed appropriately, are clean and stand up straight. Wear your favorite outfit when you go out friend-hunting; it will boost your confidence.

8.Take the Initiative
It would be nice if being friendly were enough, but often it is not. You will need to initiate conversation or crack a joke, share openly about yourself, and offer to exchange contact information. While that may feel intimidating, it will get easier the more you practice.

9.Show Interest in People Around You
One of the biggest turn-offs is someone who talks only about him or herself. Ask questions about the other person, then relate things he or she shares with things in your own life. Make a connection between the two of you.

10.Put Aside Negativity
No one wants to be friends with a complainer or a back-stabber, so put aside any negative views and show your sunny side. You'll have time for therapeutic vents about bad drivers or politics once the two of you are truly friends. For now, focus on the positive and getting to know your new friend.

By: Rachel Mork

Check out some new motivational and rather silly T-Shirts at www.attitudedriveslife.com

11 Steps to Increased Happiness.

You wake up everyday and think about your job, your family and about how nothing ever changes. Then you go through your normal routine and never giving another thought to those dream and aspirations you once had of living a different life, living a better life. Instead you have been lured into being just comfortable enough to have a little extra every pay check (if you're lucky) and stuck in that place I like to call 'no mans land'. It is the area where you are just comfortable enough not to desire a change, but no where close to achieving your dreams. It tends to make you feel sad, indifferent or just down-right depressed. So here is a list devised from a man named Jonathan that really helps you concentrate on your goals and look to being happy and fulfilled. Enjoy.



Learning to maintain a positive attitude during stressful times can be challenging. It may take some time before your natural response to almost any situation is optimistic. However, when you consider both the short term and long range benefits, your efforts are bound to pay big dividends. Let’s consider 10 simple steps you can start using immediately to move you in a positive direction.



1. Think Gratitude. A grateful mindset exerts a powerful influence on your outlook. Not only does it make you feel good in the moment, it also shifts your focus in a positive direction. Turn your attention toward your blessings and keep it there. As you focus more on what you are grateful for in your life (even the really small blessings!), you will worry less about anything that may be lacking. As a result, you will experience a more pervasive sense of happiness!


“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” ~Cicero

2. Choose Happiness. Being happy is not about circumstances or any other outside force. Happiness is a decision we make. Why not make up your mind to embrace happiness, starting now? Go ahead and make a decision. Let your personal identity get all wrapped up in the concept of happiness. Fold it around yourself like a big comfortable blanket.


“The greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our circumstances.” ~Martha Washington

3. Substitute Challenges for Problems. Subconsciously, the word problem says, “Life is not as it should be.” This causes our energy to be funneled toward repairing something that’s gone wrong. On the other hand, the word challenge sends no such message. Instead of trying to repair a malfunction, our resources are recruited to search for a new opportunity. Seeing an experience as a challenge will focus our attention on a positive outcome.


“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”~Winston Churchill

4. View Life as a Journey. A journey is an adventure of discovery. When we are on a journey we don’t fear change, we welcome it. We look forward to new and unfamiliar experiences. On a journey we are full of optimism because we are filled with the expectation of a wonderful adventure. This is the perfect attitude to carry with you every day.



5. Stop and Smell the Roses. When you constantly feel rushed and scattered, it can be difficult to maintain an optimistic outlook. Buying out regular opportunities to focus on simple pleasures can help restore a sense of balance to your life. By pausing briefly to really taste your food or enjoy a beautiful piece of music, you remind yourself of the joy of simplicity.


“It is always wise to stop wishing for things long enough to enjoy the fragrance of those now flowering.” ~Patrice Gifford

6. Begin Your Day On a Positive Note. Find a few minutes each morning to clear your mind and then think positive thoughts about the upcoming day. Focus on the people and events that bring you joy or a sense of satisfaction. What’s your favorite part of the day going to be? Take some time to look forward to everything that you will enjoy. Now carry that feeling with you all day long, even during the less enjoyable activities. Let your optimism flow into your entire day.



7. Be Positively Aware. Make it a habit to actively search for the positive side of everything. Turn it into a private game. With practice, you will be surprised how easy it becomes to see the not so obvious benefits and pleasures all around you. Being alert to the reasons for optimism also helps move our attention away from the negative side of life.


“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” ~Max Planck

8. Act Out Happy. You can use words and body language to program your nervous system. When you make a conscious effort to walk the walk and talk the talk, your feelings will soon follow. Our personal perspective takes a lot of clues from how we act. If you act like a happy optimistic person, your mind accepts that as your reality. Try it and see for yourself.



9. Hang Out With Positive People. Use the power of peer influence to feed your sense of optimism. The attitude of the people around us can be a powerful force for good or bad. Seek out the company of those with a sunny disposition and let yourself be influenced by their optimism. Use the group dynamic to your benefit.



10. Do A Gratitude Review Nightly. This is a great way to end your day. Before you go to bed think of at least ten things that you are truly grateful for. Let yourself feel the joy that those things bring to your life. Fall asleep reflecting on your blessings.


“Reflect each day on all you have to be grateful for and you will receive more to be grateful for.” ~Chuck Danes

11. Minimize Exposure to Negative Influences. Stop watching, reading, or listening to the news. If you can free yourself from this negative influence it will change your life. Without that pervasive daily dose of despair, you will find it so much easier to focus on positive things in life.



I hope these help and I encourage you to print this out and read it everyday to help make an impact on your life and the lives of those around you. For more of Jonathan's writing go to http://advancedlifeskills.com/blog/ . Enjoy and have a awesome day.



For our site go to www.attitudedriveslife.com

10 Ways to Improve your life Now!

        We all have our reasons for denying change in our lives, yet every one of us wakes up everyday and wishes something would be different.  A lot of people say if you desire change then do something different, that seems pretty obvious although not many of us practice it.  Maybe for a day or two.  Below is an article I enjoyed so much I had to share it with everyone.  I hope you find it as useful as I have, because if you cannot improve your own life at least try to improve someone else's.

1. Get rid of anything you haven’t worn in the past 2 months.
We both know that you should really donate everything you haven’t worn in the past two weeks, but I’ll cut you some slack. This isn’t about throwing away clothes you hate – it’s about getting rid of things that you don’t love. Having excess clothes that you’re never going to wear clogs up your closet, makes decision making more difficult, and serves as a constant reminder of unfinished business. Take two hours out of your weekend, tear everything out of your closet, put it in a big pile and start sorting. I’ll give you an allowance for three nostalgic t-shirts that you’ll never wear again (fraternity Beer Pong Championship shirt, etc).
When you’re done with that, think about the deep metaphor that you’ve just learned and apply it to other parts of your life. Shed yourself of activities, TV shows, people, work, and other obligations that you don’t love. You’ll feel lighter without a life that’s cluttered with fluff, and you’ll quickly fill those voids with meaningful things (you can think of me as a modern-day Mr. Miyagi, Daniel-san).

2. If something takes less than 2 minutes to do, do it immediately.
This is my favorite way to improve personal productivity. Whenever you encounter a task/obligation that requires less than 2 minutes of your time, like sharing this post on Facebook (hint, hint), just do it now. You’ll be amazed as how much this will reduce stress – both because you have less to remember and because you have a higher personal output.

3. Schedule a dinner with a group of 5 or more friends.
It’s actually scientifically proven that people who have dinner in groups of 5 or more at least once per week are happier than people who don’t. Planning an event yields more return than just the event itself – the anticipation of the event gives you something to look forward to. It takes less than 2 minutes to send an email, so you have to do this one right away.

4. Make a donation.
$5, $10, $50, $100. Whatever you can afford. If you don’t do this often, you’ll be surprised at how great it feels. I recommend checking out the charity first to see what percentage of your donation actually makes it to the end of the line – vs. being eaten up by big salaries, expensive fundraisers, and general wastefulness.
If you want some instant impact, give $20 to the next homeless person you see.

5. Practice saying “no.”
I had a friend in high school, Taylor, who had perfected the art of the “no.” When he didn’t want to do something, he’d look you in the face and respond, “I’d ’bout rather shoot myself in the face than do that.” I don’t recommend trying approach without a thick Southern accent, which has the magical power of making rude comments sound hilarious and acceptable.
Most people I know – myself included – get roped into doing things that they really don’t want to do. Saying “no” is liberating – stop giving automatic “yes” responses or, even worse, delaying the inevitable “no” by telling someone you’ll get back to them. If you aren’t instantly drawn to something, try a response like this: “I have plans that day, so I won’t be able to make it. If something changes, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

6. Stop sending open ended emails.
I used to send emails that said things like ”is that shirt available in black, red, or blue?” The other person responds with the answer and thus starts the email chain. Eliminate all this superfluous nonsense with a more comprehensive email that gives instructions for the reasonable contingencies: “I’m looking for a shirt in size medium. My favorite colors are black, red, and blue – in that order. If one of those is in-stock, please create an order, respond with the order number and your phone extension, and I will call you this evening with my credit card number and shipping information. If none are available, please let me know the estimated lead time and email me when it becomes available.” BAM. One and done.
Methods like this allow me to run two automated companies and only work a few hours per week.

7. Use self-scheduling software.
Most people waste an inordinate amount of time scheduling meetings, dinners, family get-togethers, dates, conference calls, and other events. Self-scheduling software, like TimeTrade, is all web-based and most offer free 30-day trials – they allow you to block off parts of your schedule for personal time, work, etc., and your friends/family/blind dates can choose available time slots. This eliminates all the back-and-forth of trying to find a time that works for both of you, and has the added bonus of making you look really important (you may want to consider exaggerating other exciting aspects of your life if a self-scheduling calendar is completely incongruent with your general image). In case you lead an underwhelming social life, be sure to block off a bunch of nights before sending a completely empty calendar to a potential date.
When you’re trying to get a group together, like for Tip #3, try a poll-based scheduling software like Doodle. This allows you to pick a few dates and ask a group of people which date works best.

8. Start one day per week off right.
Remember how much energy you had in high school? Yeah, well that’s because your parents cooked you decent food, you slept normal hours, and you didn’t drink your face off during the week (well, not as often as you do now, at least). Food and sleep are fuel for your body – put crude oil in your car and see how it runs.
Try doing this one day per week and you’ll be blown away at how great you feel – you’ll get more done on that day than the other days combined:
Get in bed at 9:30 and set your alarm for 6:30 – then leave your alarm clock or phone across the room so you actually wake up. In the morning, throw on some sweats and take a brisk 15 minute walk (if it’s cold out, watch Rocky IV the night before to prevent whining). Eat three eggs and have coffee or tea as normal – but leave out the toast, cereal, sugar, juice, and other garbage you usually consume in the morning. Have trouble sleeping? Try 3mg of melatonin an hour before bed. If you drink coffee out of a fire hose like I do, PharmaGABA can help you from grinding your teeth out of your skull.
For extra credit, add some sort of weightlifting routine – I’m partial to kettlebells, but then again, I own a kettlebell company.

9. Know your instrument.
A mentor said this to me and it stuck. The most incredible tool you’ll ever own is your body and, if you want to maximize your effectiveness, you should get to know it well. Most people have a “productivity zone” – a period of a few hours each day when your energy level is at its peak (mine is from 8:30-noon, give or take). I forget the exact statistics, so I’ll make something up: 9 of out 10 people in a Danish study showed a 200% increase in productivity when they worked on their most difficult tasks during their peak-energy hours.
But seriously, give it a try. It works. Spend your low-energy zones doing things you enjoy doing, like watching cat videos on YouTube or thinking about ways to kill your boss.

10. Do your work in order of descending difficulty.
If you start your day off with harvesting FarmVille crops or cruising Facebook to compare your social life to people you barely know, this one goes out to you. Start off with the most difficult task first. Most people start off by opening their email and responding to new messages. Responding to emails is easy, and it’s something that you have to do, so it should be left for low/no-energy periods. Tackle your most difficult item first and you’ll always be rewarded with an easier task to do next.
There’s an added bonus – if you only get one thing done per day, like I usually do, you actually have something to show for it.
—

Top ten list written by Zack Kantor and his blog can be reached here: www.zackkantor.com

Thanks for taking the time to read I hope this has made you a better person.

Top Ten Ways To a Postive Attitude

The following 10 tips suggest ways to facilitate a more positive attitude.

1. Work first on your relationships.
Relationships are both our best sources of happiness and our biggest sources of problems and frustrations. Developing good relationships and improving or ending the poor relationships in your life will increase your personal energy. An effective tactic to start improving your relationships is to develop better personal boundaries and standards and work on reducing toleration.

2. Develop a routine to start every day in a positive mental state.
It is very helpful to start the day with a routine that creates positive energy. Many people find activities like an early morning walk, exercise, meditation, quiet time, etc., effective in getting their day off to a positive start. It is easier to stay positive, if you can start with a positive attitude.

3. Learn how to monitor your current mental state and changes to it.
This is a complex area, but if you can link negative mood changes to a source or cause, then you are frequently in a position to quickly change back. The important point here is once you are in a negative state, get the message or value from the situation, then take some action to return to a positive state. This is discussed more in #6 below.

4. Create an energizing physical environment.
Invest some time and money to make your personal surroundings pleasing and energizing to you.
Some small items may make a big difference to how your personal space affects your moods. Poor lighting can lower your mental state, especially in the winter. I put 800 watts of halogen lighting in my workspace and noticed a big mood improvement. Some people report a big improvement in their mood just by cleaning up their bedroom and making the bed before leaving for work. Clutter is de-energizing to many people. A sink full of dirty dishes is de-energizing to some. A small water fountain can create a feeling of energy. Music can offset feelings of isolation. Feng Shui is an entire discipline that addresses the harmony of physical surroundings. Further reading in this topic may give you some good ideas.

5. Carefully monitor your self-talk.
Negative self talk is a common source of low moods. When you are hearing negative self talk, be alert to the unrealistic, overly negative messages. Focus on getting any truthful message, then shifting out of overly self-defeating criticism. It is true that we are usually our own worst critic.

6. Develop methods of shifting yourself to a more positive state.
Once you are aware of your negative moods, and have developed your own method of getting the value out of the bad mood, then craft methods of moving back to a positive mood. These methods can include positive self talk, taking action towards a desirable goal, interacting with another person. One creative method is to maintain a Truth Journal in which you write down your personal Truth about various topics. This Truth can include past successes, what you are really good at, things you enjoy, compliments you have received, progress towards goals, etc. Then, when you are feeling negative about a topic, read the Truth Journal.

7. Deal with problems effectively.
Problems are a part of life. Few people enjoy problems. But, in many cases we can learn from problems. It may help to ask yourself several questions, such as:
* What am I contributing to this problem?
* What Life Lesson have I been missing here?
* What is the worst that can happen and how can I improve on that?
* What am I doing right?
* What am I going to do differently?
Getting into a habit of using problems as learning experiences can help us avoid becoming de-energized when they occur.

8. Focus your energy on attracting more of what you want.
Time and energy spent dwelling on problems is frequently better spent pursuing desirable goals. It helps to examine your own contribution to any difficulties and understand how you may need to change. Then be sure to ask others directly for what you want from them; don’t fall into the trap of under communicating. In this way, you are always making course corrections and moving forward. I have found it helpful to print out a list of goals, and my theme for the week first thing Monday morning. This seems to help me get started on a positive note.

9. Be a positive energy source with others.
Negative energy seems to attract negative results. Keeping your own mood positive can encourage positive moods and suppress negative behavior in others.

10. Avoid using negative energy as an energy source.
Many people have a shortage of positive energy in their lives and use negative energy as their energy source. They create busyness, use deadlines, crises, and problems to keep them going. In many cases, their motivation patterns shift entirely from seeking pleasure to avoiding pain. In most cases, serious burnout is the eventual result of becoming dependent on negative energy sources.
About the Author:
This piece was originally submitted by Bruce St.John, Leadership Coach, who can be reached at bstjohn@aol.com, or visited on the web. Bruce St.John wants you to know: I help business leaders become the person their dog thinks they are!

As always check out www.attitudedriveslife.com for t shirts, audio and our books!

3 Things Necessary to Positively Change Your Life

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle

So then if we heed Aristotle's advice if we desire any kind of change in our life it must be altered in our habits and development of habits.  This is how we live anyway, think of yourself now. Your life is made up of a complete set of routines and acquired habits.  I believe these five things are the most important when it comes to changing things in your life.

1. Positivity

In other words the way we think, our mindset or our attitude.  These things will determine what you become in life.  There are people who amount to nothing in their lives and it has everything to do with the way they think about themselves.  Those in this world who we would consider successful think the polar opposite way then the latter do.  They use their unwavering positive thoughts to drive the completion of anything they accomplish.  They set a high standard for themselves and stick to it.  All things begin and end as an idea in your head, so don't take positive thinking lightly.

2. Health and Exercise

Obviously we get the connection, people who have a positive self image of themselves tend to be in better physical shape then those who are not.  I believe it is almost as important as your thought process, but if your mind isn't in it then you'll never make it to eating and living healthy.  Diet really does control your life alot more than most would think.  Eating the wrong kinds of foods or too much food and drink will effect your sleep pattern, which effects every thing.  Then your energy, motivation, and productivity go right out the door.  Exercise helps keep your energy up, which will keep you motivated.   It will also help you sleep better at night.  If you are struggling with keeping a workout schedule try to look at it as a lifestyle change rather than a diet.  Say to yourself, " That was who I used to be, this is who I am going to be."

3. Daily Habits

As I mentioned before, habits are everything in our lives.  The way we eat, talk, sleep, our activities, everything.  It is paramount that if you desire to change things for the better that you grab hold of this principle. 

"To change your life, you must change something you do daily."

 

 

Small steps are needed to change a habit or else it will probably not work.  Take little steps at a time, but consistently apply them everyday with persistence and attention to detail.  There will be times you fail, but you must not let those few instances alter your new way of living.  Just pick up where you left off and keep on track to your inevitable goal you are trying to achieve.  Experts say it takes about 21 days to develop a new habit, and about 3 months to see its affects on your life.  So you need to be persistent in your application and consistent in the amount of effort you put forth. 

 

If you truly want to change, then nothing can stop you.

 

 

      This article was written by T.W. Zugger.  IF you would like to read more check out his site at:

      WWW.ATTITUDEDRIVESLIFE.COM  where you can Pre-Order his new book which will be

      available everywhere on Tuesday, April 23 2013.