Simple Pleasures, Everyday Joie de Vivre.

Photo by Fabio Comparelli on Unsplash Grit is a concept in the book 'Grit' by Angela Duckworth. It means passion and perseverance . In the book Angela has many examples of people who kept trying despite difficulties. People who committed  to things despite all the odds. People who are determined to achieve something no matter what it takes. It's really about taking the long road. In this article we will cover some of the characteristics of gritty people, so you too can be gritty and achieve everything you want to.  Back-bone  Backbone means strength of character. You are a good person, you do the right thing, you're conscientious, punctual, and you strive for excellence in all matters.  Confidence Confidence means being sure of yourself in everything that you do, it is competence, the belief that you can succeed at things and the ability to foster healthy relationships. You build confidence by experience and practice.  Courage Courage is the guts to embark on y...

  Morning pages were invented by Julia Cameron in The Artists Way - which is a course on creativity. Therein, every morning you get up and write three A4 pages from stream of consciousness. You put pen to paper and don't lift it off until you're done. The morning pages help to unleash your feelings, help you to be creative; to express yourself and help to quiet your inner critic. But I have a little spin on the morning pages where you write the three pages, but everything you write is positive. This way you create your day with a positive attitude and by making affirmations. Your word really is your wand as we have learnt from the book of the same name by Florence Scovel Shinn. You speak over things; you improve your mood, your life, and combat negativity. You visualize a promising future and put yourself in the drivers seat. It also helps to cope with adversity and ward off disease.  Write down virtuous ideas. Create a positive experience in the universe, and shape your desti...

Photo by Karsten Würth on Unsplash With the weather soaring into heated temperatures and crazy weather patterns all over the world, more people are concerned about the state of the environment and what they can do to help. So here are a few helpful hints for doing your fair share. I know it's a lot, and it's tempting to opt for more convenient options, but just try to do what you can. Even something as simple as tuning the lights off when you're not in the room can make a profound difference.  Turn the lights off when you're not in the room.  Pay your electricity company for green power. If they don't have this option, switch to a company that does.  Use a thermos to keep your tea or coffee hot, rather than boiling the kettle over and over again keep some tea or coffee in a thermos flask.  Recycle: Look for the little recycling symbols on your packaging and recycle accordingly.  Install solar power. If you own your own home, install solar panels. It's cheaper a...

Photo by Look Studio on Unsplash Sometimes looking at things from another point of view can be refreshing and enlightening. So what do other cultures say about motivation and well-being? Read on  to find out.  Willpower in Tao, mastery. If you act with vigor you will have willpower.  Mastering others is strength, mastering self is power.  Virya Virya is Sanskrit for energy, diligence, enthusiasm, zeal & effort.  It pertains to perseverance and vigor, It also stands for courage and strength. Virya is the antidote to Thina. Thina pertains to sluggishness, dullness and lack of drive. The Dalia Lama says that it is wise to be diligent.  Ppalli-Ppalli Ppalli-Ppalli  Is South Korean for the concept of speed. The phrase basically means  Quick quick, hurry hurry.  From serving in a restaurant in minutes to erecting buildings years before the deadline, Korean is a culture based on speediness. If you think about it, doing things with haste is more...

Photo by Jamison Wieser on Flickr Do you remember the golden story of the Little Engine that Could? A locomotive breaks down and other engines are asked to pull the train over the mountain but they have excuses for not doing it: One is broken down, one is too pompous, one is too self important, and one lacks the strength and determination. Finally a little switch engine is asked to pull the train and she decides to give it a go. So off she goes, repeating the phrase 'I think I can - I think I can - I think I can. Anyway she makes it over the mountain and then uses the phrase I thought I could - I thought I could - I thought I could. The moral of the story is to teach children about optimism and hard work. So using the idea of a train we are going to see how to manage projects and achieve goals. First: Plan your trip.  Decide on your project. Choose something you've been meaning to do to work on. It should challenge you just enough to interest you and not so much that's it...

Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash This article is about health food, particularly processed foods. Processed foods are foods that have been treated to make them more convenient, improve taste and preserve. Whole foods are foods which stay close to their original state. As in an apple over an apple pie, or whole meal flour over white flour. The problem is that the processed foods spike your blood sugar and then a bit later you come down. Whereas the whole foods tend to keep your blood sugar stable, so you should also see an improvement in your moods and energy levels.  One of the best things you can do for your health is eliminate unhealthy foods, such as processed foods, sugars, and saturated fats. After you've read this article go to you pantry and throw away all the unhealthy food.  Swap white pasta with whole meal pasta. Stop eating sugar altogether. Replace sugar with stevia. A little bit of honey or fruit is okay.  Swap out ramen with brown rice pre-cooked sachets or ...

Attitude is everything. Success is just a mindset. The following 10 principles will help you to believe and achieve. You will also feel happier and more fulfilled in your life. Refer back to this article whenever you have fall-back and simply get back on track! Okay, let's go! Belief You can if you believe you can. Have faith and believe in yourself. Be positive about yourself, try listing your strengths and achievements. Eliminate negative thinking and don't ever beat yourself up. Things sometimes happen by chance, it's not necessarily your fault when things go wrong. Keep a growth mindset and continue to learn from your mistakes.  Work Take action. Be constructive  and, be consistent.  Hard work is the proverbial philosophers stone. ' Inspiration  strikes at 9 am'. (Somerset Maugham), 'Early to bed early to rise, makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise'. (English proverb). 'Work while it's day'. (Bible). 'Make hay while the sun shines'...