Failure is a necessary piece of life. Without failure we would not have the ability to grow and develop to new levels. The challenge is that society has wired us to believe that failure is a bad thing. The reality is that with each failure  new things are learned and with each failure you are one step closer to that potential revolutionary break through that will take you to new heights in your life. The trick is not to quit and push well through that major breakthrough that you deserve and have earned the right to take. 

The only true failure comes as a result of quiting and not reaching your true potential.

One example I like to use is one which we can all relate to and that is learning to walk when we are infants. How many failures do we experience as we were trying to figure that whole walking thing out? However with each step we learned more about using things to guide us, we learned to hang on to things as we were learning balance ourselves. With a few more steps, even though we fell many times in between we learned better ways to place our feet to promote balance. With all of those tumbles and hard falls that we took we not only developed the balance it took to walk but also took it even farther by being able to run. The key to our success when it came to learning to run was not stopping at failures and taking the time to learn from our failures, not give up and grow. The key to success at anything in life for that matter is to fail, not give up, learn and try again using the knowledge we gained from what we perceived as failing. It applies to walking, so why shouldn’t that apply to anything else you set out to do in life?

1) Meditate

2) Draw A Picture — Drawing stimulates the right-hemisphere of the brain and inspires creativity. Get out the colored pencils and begin drawing your way to a powerful brain.

3) Exercise — Long-term exercise has been proven to increase brain power and even create new neurons in the brain. Go out and get a natural high off of your own brain chemistry through exercise!

4) Brainwave Entrainment — Brainwave entrainment is a safe, innovative way to stimulate and shape the brain and it’s functioning. You can literally build up more control over your life and harness your brain’s potential!

5) Avoid Junk Food – Junk food has been proven to decrease energy in the body and promotes “brain fog.” Cut some junk food from your diet, and reap the benefits of a more calm, focused brain chemistry.

6) Deep Breathing — Deep breathing actually increases oxygen levels and blood-flow to the brain. 10-15 minutes of daily deep breathing can make a huge difference in the quality of your life and brain’s functioning potential.

7) Learn A New Language — Learning adds more structure to the brain and improves the brain’s speech centers. Hablas espanol? It may be time for you to take a class or program to supplement your job-skills and brain power!

Take Fish Oil — Fish oil supplements are literally like membrane material for the brain. The 2 primary components of EPA and DHA each act to strengthen both the emotional center of the brain and boost focus. There is an increase in overall brain activity after taking fish oil for awhile.

9) Laugh It Up — Laughter causes a natural release of the brain’s endorphins — chemicals that drown out pain and increase overall wellbeing. Laughter is a well known, natural stress reducer. Watch a comedy, crack a joke, and increase those endorphin levels!

10) Engage In Debate — A good, healthy debate strengthens the brain’s ability to think quickly and apply intelligence to verbal situations. Work to build up your brain power by engaging in plenty of healthy debate. Just ask someone who they are voting for in the presidential election and you’ll definitely provoke a debate!

11) Take A Multivitamin — Vitamins are great for the brain, and if it does not get enough of a certain vitamin through daily diet, consider a multivitamin. Multivitamins help facilitate the functioning of a healthy body and enriched brain. Start popping a vitamin each morning for awhile and chances are good that you’ll notice a difference!

12) Drink Red Wine — Alcohol in moderation has been proven to be good for the brain. Why? It is rich in antioxidants — chemicals that actually protect the brain! One glass daily for women and two for men is generally considered a healthy amount.

13) Eat Healthy — You know what ‘healthy’ is, so why not east healthy and improve your brain? The brain requires a certain amount of energy to reach it’s maximum level of functioning. Eating chocolate cake and chips instead of fish and legumes, well maybe that’s why you cannot think clearly.

14) Change Your Environment — To keep your brain properly stimulated, it is important to keep changing your environment. Drive a new route to work, eat at a new restaurant on Friday night. Changing the environment helps change the brain!

15) Set Goals — Setting goals activates areas of the brain associated with positive thinking and action. Setting goals is great for achieving success and prosperity in life and boosting your brain.

16) Listen To Music — Studies have proven that listening to music strengthens the right-hemisphere of the brain and literally changes the structure. Those same studies have found that people who listen to music are generally smarter and have more emotional intelligence than those who don’t.

17) Be Empathetic — Being empathetic and trying to understand the emotions of others is a skill that your brain can learn. Being empathetic is definitely a powerful trait to have and allows your brain to relate to the emotions of others.

18) Avoid Stress — A little bit of stress will never hurt anybody. Too much stress actually causes detrimental increases in the hormone “cortisol” which in high levels, kills brain cells and suppresses brain functioning.

19) Think Positive — If you are currently very good at thinking positively, chances are good that you already have a more powerful brain than those “Negative Nellies.” Take 10 minutes daily to think more positive and start noticing an improvement in thinking abilities and problem solving skills.

20) Brainstorm — A good brainstorming session to think of new, stimulating ideas is a great way to boost your brains ability to think creatively. Brainstorming is actually a different way of thinking that will equip your brain with a quick creative boost.

21) Write An Article — Writing is linked to an improved memory and expression of thoughts. When you write, you are strengthening your brain’s natural ability to convey thoughts and feelings. Writing is a great way to exercise your ability to analyze and build a thought process with critical thinking. Journals, diaries, blog entries, and writing stories are phenomenal ways to fulfill your brain.

22) Visualize — Visualization has been associated with focus at a deeper level. Many successful athletes that are able to play “in the zone” actually visualize their game at a deeper level. Visualization has been linked to lowered stress, increased creativity, and peak mind-body performance.

23) Get Some Sleep — Be sure to always fulfill your brain’s need for sleep. Sleep clears out mental clutter and unimportant thoughts. Getting a good night’s sleep can also be the difference between a sharp memory and feeling forgetful. Everyone has different sleep requirements, be sure to fulfill yours! If you don’t get enough sleep, then you may want to take a nap.

24) Do Self-Hypnosis — The power of hypnotic suggestion is definitely real. You can change aspects of your thought process and learn to shift your focus by taking the time to do some self-hypnosis. Hypnosis research shows that by practicing hypnosis, an individual experiences lowered stress, increased pain tolerance, and clear thinking. Try it out for yourself if you haven’t already!

25) Do Crossword Puzzles — Crossword puzzles bring out your brain’s ability to critically think and recall past memories. The challenge of completing crossword puzzles is definitely mentally invigorating and stimulating. If you enjoy reading the newspaper, be sure to check out the daily crossword puzzles section and build up that brain power!

26) Eat Nuts — Brazil and South American University students swear by eating nuts before taking exams. They notice that eating them is correlated with an increase in test scores. New studies are beginning to prove nuts effectiveness at increasing brain power. If you do not eat a lot of nuts, try it sometime and reap the brain related benefits!

27) Read Books — Reading books teaches your brain to adapt to absorb large amounts of information in shorter periods of time. Books challenge your thinking abilities and memorization skills, as well as boost vocabulary and critical thinking skills. Not only do you learn something from reading a book, but your brain power increases as you build up the book load.

28) Listen To Classical Tunes — Listening to classical music activates the left hemisphere of the brain, which is why classical music usually helps students do better in mathematics and writing. If you haven’t yet tried listening to some Mozart, consider it! Mozart has been linked to an 80 % increase in spatial intelligence scores!

29) Play “Brain Age” — New games like “Brain Age” for the nintendo DS and Big-Brain Academy help promote quick thinking and essential brain skills. These games work wonderful for improving thinking speed and natural problem solving skills. I’ve had a chance to play these games before and I can personally vouch for their effectiveness!

30) Take A Nap – Taking a nap has been proven through research to significantly improve task-performance and thinking abilities. If you are feeling tired throughout the day and have time to take a quick nap, it is recommended. Naps are a wonderful refresher and quick little mental booster.

31) Turn Off The T.V. – Watching T.V. may not be the only reason which rotting begins in the brain, but it is a key ingredient to the rotting process. A little T.V. will never hurt anybody, but it does definitely change brain functioning. The act of watching T.V. slows brainwaves and causes a decline in brain fitness.

32) Paint A Picture — Being able to visualize where you want paint to go on paper sparks pure creativity from within. Painting is an exercise that gets the right-brain fully functioning and improves your creative side. If you haven’t tried painting a picture, give it a shot and notice that you’re likely to feel and be more creative.

33) Start Crying — Don’t be afraid to cry when the time is right! Crying actually heals emotions and promotes healthy circulation within the brain. Those who are able to cry are actually cleansing the inside of their brain, which is another very healthy way to increase brain power.

34) Eat Less — Eating too much food has the effect of decreasing blood-flow to the brain and increasing blood-flow to the digestive system. Therefore, if you are able to cut-back on the total amount of food you consume, you will have enhanced brain functioning. In several lab studies, rats on a calorie-restricted diet had increased blood flow to their brains.

35) Eat Breakfast — When kids who hadn’t eating breakfast for awhile, began to eat breakfast, their math grades went up an entire letter grade (on average). Breakfast is probably the most important meal of the day — it provides your body with fuel for the rest of the day. If you don’t have time to eat an entire breakfast in the morning, at least have some sort of snack… It could give your brain a powerful edge!

36) Go For A Walk — Exercise definitely benefits the brain, and walking is a great form of exercise that is easy and very effective for boosting brainpower. Walking puts your mind in a relaxed state of clear thought and brain function. Walking gives your brain a chance to wander and free itself from any troubling thoughts.

37) Mimic Others — Being able to mimic other’s actions and talk activates several areas of the brain that are usually inactive. Mimicing others, if done in a fun, playful manner, can improve your brain power and the brain’s natural ability to adapt quickly when faced with new situations.

38) Solve Puzzles — Solving puzzles is a great way to stimulate your brains ability to critically think and process information. Puzzles are thought provoking, challenging, and a fun activity. The great thing about puzzles is that they require activity in the left-hemisphere of the brain to work with, and transfer information to, the right hemisphere’s visual center of the brain. Want a more integrated brain? Solve a puzzle!

39) Do Neurofeedback — Neurofeedback is a great way to learn to consciously control your brain wave patterns. Neurofeedback builds brain structure and helps promote flexibility within a brain’s neural network. Though neurofeedback is somewhat costly, if you’ve got enough money — it may very well be the best investment you can make for your brain!

40) Cut Alcohol Consumption — Alcohol in moderation isn’t terrible for the brain, too much alcohol is damaging to brain health and function. If you want to boost brain power, cutting alcohol is a great way to do it. Alcohol can cause memory problems and encourage “foggy,” disorganized thinking.

41) Live A Drug-Free Lifestyle — Everyone knows that drugs are bad for them. Drugs do not foster creativity, they kill creativity and deplete brain cells. Depending on the drug, effects can range from brain bleeding, to cell loss, to impairments in neural growth. Live drug free and keep your brain more powerful!

42) Drink Fruit Juice — Drinking fruit juice revitalizes the brain and provides cells with a refreshing jolt of nutrients. Great juices to drink include: grape juice, orange juice, cranberry juice, and apple juice. Most juices provide your brain with vital nutrients which in turn, provide you with more mental energy and focus.

43) Be Self-Aware — When you learn to let go of ego-driven and emotional aspects of life, rational thinking kicks in. Rational thinking will allow you to become self-aware, which in turn allows you to make better future decisions to achieve optimal brain health. Activities like meditation, self-hypnosis, and introspection allow us to increase our self-awareness.

44) Take Gingko Biloba — Gingko Biloba has been scientifically researched and documented to significantly increase blood-flow to the brain. Gingko Biloba is a farily inexpensive way to pump up your brain’s blood-flow. Increased bloodflow to the brain is correlated with an increase in focus and problem solving. Try some Gingko Biloba and allow your brain to reap the benefits!

45) Have Sex — Having sex is a great way to naturally release vital hormones in the brain. When involved in a loving relationship, having sex improves social connection as well as emotional intelligence. Sex is connecting, stress-relieving, and a great way to give your brain a boost. Chances are that sex will also improve your confidence and ability to think positively!

46) Drink Caffeine — Research shows that students that drink coffee before exams, have higher scores. Why? Caffeine seems to stimulate activity in the brain, speed up thinking, and improve focus. Too much caffeine is never good as it can cause stress or trigger anger. A little bit, however, may be the ticket to an “A” on your test. Drink some and find out how it affects your focus and thinking abilities!

47) Sniff Some Basil — I personally haven’t tried this method, but there seem to be many claims testifying for Basil’s effectiveness at improving overall brain function. Either way, certain fragrances actually change brain functioning. Taking a whiff of peppermint speeds up brain functioning, while other fragrances actually slow things down! Since scent is the strongest thing tied to memory, some good fragrances can definitely help out brain functioning.

48) Stay In School — If you are in school, chances are good that you will boost your brain power more than the average dropout! Keeping up with school work, means giving your brain a good workout in areas of self-discipline, learning, and mental processing. Stay in school, or do something to always be learning something new!

49) Ask Questions — Asking questions is a phenomenal way to keep your brain in shape. Get in the habit of questioning others and their thoughts. Questions can provoke new thoughts and ideas and asking them is a great way to build up brain power!

50) Re-Read This List – Want to boost your brain power? Start by re-reading this list and highlighting several methods that you can apply to your life. As a matter of fact, print this list out and staple it up someplace that you will view everyday. That way, when walking past the list, you can take a glance and randomly choose an activity to boost your brain power!

Just like you, I’m reflecting daily on my desire to develop a kick-ass attitude filled with positivity. Your income, success and fulfillment survives and thrives by the kick-ass attitude. Your life vampires – ego, emotional vices, hatred, despair and negativity dread to face your kick-ass attitude.

A Black Belt in Attitude

Have you ever ridden on a roller coaster? Do you remember the jolt of happiness you felt when the ride began? You were fearless, happy and immersed in the moment. Do you remember screaming later on? Or even shouting out loud? Your reality changed in the split second. You became a chicken from a ninja in matter of minutes. With the change of your reality, your attitude changed. All of these happened in matter of minutes. What you want to become with the kick-ass attitude is to learn not to change your inner reality when going gets tough.

Who is the most smashing champion of “Kick-Ass” attitude? No other name comes close to the greatness of Bruce Lee for that matter. In his short life, Bruce Lee has been remembered as the father of the modern day martial art. I’ve also stumbled upon his mastery of thoughts on the way of life – to think like a winner with the Kick-Ass attitude.

Bruce Lee’s black belt, kick-ass attitude acts as a shield to your inner reality of positivity and optimism. It’s a warrior that insures your thoughts from getting attacked by the evil of negativity. It’s a certification of mental steadfastness to wither the worst of outer reality to remain calm and confident with the mastery of focus – on what we can control and let go what we cannot.

1. Focus on what matters the most. ~

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” – Bruce Lee

What we become in life begins with the reality we create in our mind. Everything we do in our life is a reflection of what we feed our mind with. A healthy body is a reflection of a healthy diet. A healthy mind is a reflection of healthy thoughts. We waste priceless life energy by focusing our thoughts on things we cannot change – the economy, the gas price to name a few. We can certainly transform our lives by investing our priceless life energy into what we can change – by setting realistic goals that can be measured and by working hard until those goals become a reality. Work on one goal at a time and immersed yourself with best of your ability and most noble intentions. You’ll be amazed at uplifting and positive attitude of your own as a result.

2. Come out of “Me, Me, Me” shell ~

“Real living is living for others.” – Bruce Lee

It’s easy to get lost in the incessant desire to lock all of our thoughts into a “me” shell. Our desire for the more throws us into a never ending roller coaster ride of emotions of highs and lows in matter of a short time span. Sadly enough, our attitude is always a loyal servant to our egotistical desires. When we do something for others, we give freedom to our thoughts. Our thoughts grow with the food of positivity that we feed by making difference in some-one’s life. Life is an echo. What we do comes back to us. The more we give to others, the more we receive from the universe. Our attitude fires up with the higher self-worth and feeling of contentment that comes from within. The subtle yet the profound change begins to take place in our mind. We feel happy with enough and learn to let go our yearning for the more.

3. Control your mental chatter ~

“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless – like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” – Bruce Lee

We have a formidable foe who never leaves us. He’s there when we are awake and never sleeps when we are at sleep. He talks to us constantly. He tells us how we shall program our mind. In fact, he is the chief programmer of our mind, a Chief Technical Officer of our life. He’s the invisible devil who chatters with our mind. When we drive and if a car comes close, he’s chatting madness. When we speak with a friend and if our friend disagrees with us, this devil chatters with our mind, “Hell with this guy, he is stupid.” He creates a fake reality in our mind about what we see and experience everyday. He’s in full control. You can squash this devil if you learn to free up your mind. Listen to others when they speak intently, bury emotions that sprung out of the mental chatter with a smile. You’ll soon become the master of your invisible foe. Your upbeat attitude will squash any mental chatter that tend to bore negative attitude.

4. Strive to live the life of values and transparency ~

“If you make an ass out of yourself, there will always be someone to ride you” – Bruce Lee

Our attitude is a selfless, loyal servant of our own desires. Our attitude grows with our own desire to live the values that we strive for in our life. Often those who succumb to the “me-centered” thoughts sell their values and transparency for the sake of achieving a life of possessions. What they forget in their pursuit of collecting those possessions is that they become possessed by the same possessions they brag most about. It’s easy to fool others but equally harder to fool our own inner consciousness. The road taken to shortcut the pathway to success ends up with the obstacles of major bumps from the diminished self value. A life of integrity and transparency leads to the longer yet pleasant journey to the peaks of success with picturesque view of your beautiful inner self. The choice is yours to make.

5. Set achievable goals ~

“As you think, so shall you become.” – Bruce Lee

A lousy attitude is an outer expression of our metal clutter. When we don’t have a clarity in life, when we don’t take time to develop a worthy purpose driven by achievable goals that we can monitor and measure, we tend to play the blame game – We tend to blame the world for our state of being, we blame our partner for every hiccup in our relationship, we blame our boss for not making more money.. You get the idea. We tend to focus our thoughts on the blemish desire to hold others accountable for our apathetic, loser attitude. The good news is that we can change all of that in matter of minutes. All we need to do is to understand the axiom of life - We are where we are is the culmination of our thoughts and actions thus far. That can be changed as easily as a sailor changes the navigation of his boat. Take control of your destiny. If you don’t, someone else will definitely be in charge for the better or worst of your fate yet to come.

6. Stay away from the influence of negativity ~

“If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.” – Bruce Lee

Time is the most precious treasure we have. We can make more of other things in life but we cannot make more time. With our short journey on this earth, we shall always be mindful about spending our time with and for the positivity in our life. Our life constantly evolves. We grow up with friends and relatives who sometimes are negative. As much as we love them for their relationship with us, We shall never allow their toxic emotions to influence our thoughts. I keep a journal of my life with the events of the day that I can reflect upon to understand the subtle influence of negativity in my life. Without the awareness, negativity creeps into our mind with deftness of a robber to rob our passion and purpose. Be conscious about every conversation that you engage in with your friend or a family member and cut short those conversations of negativity swiftly to spend your time on the worthy causes of life – clarity and inner happiness.

Final Thought

Attitude is a choice. We cannot control what happens to us, but we can certainly control how we react to it. Bruce Lee believed in the life of offense with a “Kick-Ass” attitude of positivity. If we constantly work on -

~ Our consciousness to be aware of the thoughts we focus on

~ Strive to do something for others

~ Control our own metal chatter of negativity

~ Live the life of utmost values and transparency

~ Set achievable goals and work hard on them

~ Learn to stay away from our emotional vices

We will earn a diploma from the Bruce Lee’s Institute of “Kick-Ass” attitude.