What I mean by improving your awareness is that you realize on a conscious level some of the things you’ve been doing that are counter productive towards your over all life success. You also come to the full realization as to why you need to stop doing these things.

1. Doubting Yourself – If you think that you can’t achieve something then I have some good news for you, you’re probably right. Doubts and lack of self belief are the number one way to not only fail to achieve your goals, but to prevent yourself for even trying to go for them in the first place.

Ask yourself, is there anyone in this world that could achieve what I want to achieve? If so, then you definitely can as well.

2. Looking for Answers – I don’t mean this as a sort of umbrella phrase that covers every situation in the world, sometimes we need answers. On occasion we need to know why things happened and how we can change them, but a lot of the answers we look for won’t change anything even if we get them.

• “Why do some people have all the luck?”
• “Why was I born into this environment?”
• “Why am I not smart, pretty, cool, rich?”

These are all questions that deserve no time to be pondered. Don’t look for answers, just start creating results.

3. Procrastinating - This is something I struggled with for a long time, but regular readers of the site will know that I ‘cured’ this quite well. Basically, I make sure I know what I want in life, and any time I catch myself procrastinating or wishing I didn’t have to do a certain ask, I simply ask myself: “Do you really want this?”

Has there ever been a time when procrastinating actually served you well? Did those extra 20 minutes on Facebook or a call to your friend really help the situation? The ‘problem’ is still going to be there, so just deal with it now.

4. Blaming Someone Else – It’s far easier and more likely for us to blame someone else for our current situation rather than take responsibility ourselves. “I’m poor because John makes bad financial decisions” or “I’m unhappy because Sarah left me”.

You have to take full and total responsibility for yourself and all of your actions. Sure, there will be people who want to help you and people involved in what you do, but you are completely responsible for the outcome. If you keep looking to others as the reason for your ‘failures’ without picking up the pieces yourself, these ‘failures’ will continue to happen.

5. Judging Others – First of all, you have absolutely nothing to gain but everything to lose from judging someone. People that others would instantly judge as ‘uncool’ or ‘boring’ have turned out to be some of the most awesome people I’ve ever met in my life.

Secondly, I want to make it clear that I’m not just saying this because it is nice and should be included on a list like this; I fully believe it and try to implement it into my life as much as possible. If you are going to judge people, at least judge them by their actions, and not their appearance or their background.

6. Waiting to Live – I think most of you will relate to this point more than any. I should know, I’ve spent a good few years of my life waiting for things to happen before life will be perfect and I can start enjoying it. As soon as I get that big promotion, as soon as I’m making enough money, as soon as I’ve gained X amount of lbs and I’m ripped etc., these are all useless thoughts that I’ve had.

You know what, these things may come, and you may get to finish college or get to your dream weight. As soon as you get there though, you’ll realise you’ve just wasted and forgotten the whole journey it took to arrive at the spot. The time to enjoy life is right now, no matter what situation you are in or what you hope the future may hold.

7. Needing Reasons to Be Happy – I have a huge smile on my face as I’m writing this; in fact I’ve had one for the last few days. Should I tell you why? OK, well…there is absolutely no reason. What reason do you need to feel great, why not just feel great? It all starts with loving yourself and appreciating what you have in life at this moment.

I’m feeling like that on a very regular basis these days. We often feel we need things to ‘happen’ to give ourselves permission to be happy. Yet, when you think about it, how ridiculous is that? At any moment in time, you can have complete control over how you feel. Don’t look for reasons to feel good and smile, you’re alive, that should be enough.

8. Caring What People Think – I’ll be the first to admit that this isn’t easy, and I don’t think it’s going to come instantly unless you have some drugs or alcohol available. I have no doubt that this step takes time, but you can begin to care less and less with practice.

“What people say about you is none of your business”

- Sean Stephenson

You should just really put life into perspective, and trust yourself and your own direction. This is the only opportunity we have, are we really going to spend our time worrying about what people think of us, something we can’t even change anyway?

I would love to hear your thoughts, what other things do you think we should stop doing right now?

60 Fun Things to Do for Little or No Money:

1. Enjoy a concert in the park – Spring and summer begin free things to do in the park season. Concerts and movies are just the beginning.
2. Go camping – Still one of the cheapest vacations one can take, especially through the US National Parks system.
3. Go for a hike in the woods.
4. Go for a swim – Most beaches and rivers are free for swimmers, others require a small fee. It’s still a good, affordable way to spend a day. Better yet, find yourself a good, old fashioned swimming hole.
5. Go fishing.
6. Have a picnic.
7. Take the kids to the park.
8. Visit a museum -There are lots of free museums and many others take a donation.
9. Work on an arts and craft projects
10. Play board games.
11. Dig for fossils or gems. Find out where to dig in your area.
12. Build sandcastles
13. Have a barbecue.
14. Run through your garden sprinkler.
15. Play a pickup basketball or volleyball game in the park.
16. Visit the library. Take out books, movies, music or take advantage of some of their great programs.
17. Take a free online class.
18. Find a fireworks display.
19. Go canoeing or kayaking.
20. Do some birdwatching.
21. Make a kite (see video below).
22. Go for a bike ride.
23. roller blade.
24. Ride your scooter.
25. Visit the zoo. Most zoos are affordable and if you get a summer zoo pass you can visit as often as you like for one price.
26. Read
27. Sell lemonade with your kids
28. Watch a play at a local theater
29. Visit a vineyard (area dependent) – some tours are free while others are affordable.
30. Visit a street fair. Food is cheap, plus craft displays, flea market finds and entertainment abound.
31. Tour a college campus
32. Lounge on a hammock
33. Adopt a pet – Actually adoption fees aren’t as cheap as they used to be but it’s well worth the cost.
34. Tour a fire house or police station
35. Bowling  – A night out for the family really doesn’t cost much, especially if you bring your own snacks.
36. Tour a brewery
37. Bake
38. Make a chalk mural in your driveway.
39. Tour a television or radio station
40. Attend a tv show taping
41. Shakespeare in the Park – If your area has it
42. Make a birdhouse
43. Stroll through a public garden
44. Work on your own garden
45. Visit the state or county fair.
46. Join a book club at the library, Borders or Barnes & Noble
47. Browse the flea markets.
48. Find a drive in movie theater in your area (theres not many left but if you can find one they are awesome)
49. Take advantage of local cultural events.
50. Visit a dairy farm.
51. Visit historic battlefields.
52. If you are in the Washington DC  visit the museums.  Most of the museums are free there.
53. Volunteer at a soup kitchen or another place that feeds meals to the homeless.
54. Have a scavenger hunt.
55. Teach yourself a new language using online tutorials and materials from the library.
56. Start a scrapbook and fill it with items found outdoors.
57. Jigsaw puzzles!
58. Make a working volcano (see video below)
59. Have a campfire in your backyard, roast marshmallow and tell ghost stories.
60. Clean out your house and have a garage sale.

Add to the list. What are some great things you can do with little or no money?

How To Make A Kite

How To Make A Working Volcano

Either way, life leads you surely, steadily toward your purpose. Whether you experience the pain of losing touch with that purpose, or the joy of living in harmony with it, you grow in understanding and appreciation.

No day, no experience, no encounter is really wasted. Through the ups and downs, in the good times and in times of despair, you feel more intensely the longing to express who you truly are.

The beauty of this day is not in its particulars. The beauty is that you can take it all in, whatever and however it may be, and add it to the substance of your being.

Whatever comes along, be thankful for the opportunity to pass through it. Whatever is, go with it and grow with it.

Your purpose cannot help but become stronger, as each moment passes. Feel that strength, and live it more fully, more authentically, day after day.

Rule Number One, Live Like There Is No Tomorrow… If you knew you weren’t going to be here tomorrow what would you do today? What would you say to those you care about in your life? What would you get done that you have been putting off? Life is short and none of us know if tomorrow will truly come for us. Make sure you are making every day count and you are living like its your last.

Live Like You’re Dying

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Be happy for this moment, this moment is your life …. make sure you have taken the time today and everyday to think about and appreciate all of the awesome things, people and moments that make your life great. A life worth living is a life worth spending the time to reflect and appreciate. One thing that has helped me gain a great understanding of my own life is journaling. Journaling not only helps you capture those special moments that are worth remembering, but it also help put your life into perspective when times do get challenging.

“If you had a friend who talked to you like you sometimes talk to yourself, would you continue to hang around with that person?”

~ Rob Bremer

Thanks to the power of our inner critics, most of us have a very poor opinion of ourselves. Yet self-contempt merely keeps us miserable and stuck in our mediocrity.

If we were to make only one change to transform the quality of our lives, we might try sending a little love our own way.

“A critic is a legless man who teaches running.”

~ Channing Pollock

“Unkind criticism is never part of a meaningful critique of you. Its purpose is not to teach or to help, its purpose is to punish.”

~ Barbara Sher

“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

~ Buddha

So remember if you really want to enjoy and love life, it first starts with really enjoying and loving yourself. From their everything becomes very easy. I would love to hear your comments on this concept, please leave them in the comment section below.

Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and site softly on your shoulder…

This quote by Thoreau really hits home. People spend so much time chasing happiness rather then just letting it happen. Do the things you love! The things that make you excited to jump out of bed  in the morning and get your day started! If you do these things happiness will truly follow and you won’t have to chase after it anymore. Life is way to short to settle for anything less.

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“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. ” My question to you is: What are you waiting for? Take an action, start today.